Canker Sores: What is a Canker Sore?

Canker sores are ulcers that form on the inside of your mouth. They can vary in size from the size of the tip of a pen to much larger. They are typically a white or yellowish color with a red ring around the outside. Canker sores can often make eating and even talking very difficult as they can be extremely painful. Typically, they go away in a week or 2 on their own, however they can be healed much faster with effective treatment methods.

**This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission, but our opinions remain our own.

Main Causes of Canker Sores

Toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).
Biting your cheek or lip, brushing too hard, or friction in the mouth.
Food sensitivities, particularly to acidic or spicy foods, chocolate, coffee, fruit high in citrus, strawberries, eggs, nuts, cheese[2].
A deficiency in certain vitamins particularly vitamin B12, zinc, folic acid or iron.
Hormonal shifts during menstrual cycle.
Stress

What should you do?

Find A Treatment

The first thing that you should do is find a treatment that heals your current outbreak. There are far too many products on the market that simply numb the pain of canker sores. While this is helpful, it does not take care of the root issue and does not provide healing. If you act fast with a treatment option that heals canker sores, you can cut the duration of the outbreak in half. Understanding the stages of a canker sore is also very important in order to know what to expect and when to begin treatment.

Avoid SLS

Sodium lauryl sulfate is one of the number one causes of canker sores. It is a foaming agent found in toothpastes and mouthwashes. SLS dries out oral tissues, which can make them more susceptible to irritants [2]. We highly recommend the Hello Brand toothpaste below, as it is free of SLS and other additives.

Replenish Vitamin Deficiencies to Prevent Canker Sores

The second thing that you should do is to take your vitamin and supplement game to the next level. A large percentage of the population is vitamin deficient, which certainly leads to canker sore outbreaks. Three supplements that we highly recommend for preventing canker sores are Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and Lysine. Taking a daily dose of these three vitamins can certainly help prevent canker sores from forming in the first place.

Avoid Trigger Foods

In order to determine what foods could be triggering your canker sores, you will likely need to experiment with cutting certain foods out of your diet. This will look different for each person. For example, some people’s outbreaks are triggered by pineapple, while for others it is coffee or chocolate. If you think it is coffee, try out acid free coffee beans, or cut out coffee completely and see if it helps. There is no exact science to it, but once you determine what foods cause issues for you, you are then on the right path to preventing outbreaks.

Get Rapid Healing Using Canker Shield

Let’s be honest, most people want quick relief when they have a canker sore outbreak. We hear you, and that is why we have developed Canker Shield, a product that has helped tons of people get relief and rapidly heal their canker sores. We have seen that the majority of those who have used the product find that it heals their canker sores in 2-3 days, when it would typically take a week or longer before. If you want proof, check out the many testimonials of users who have tried the product. If you want to learn more about the product, click here.

What is a Canker Sore?