Mouth ulcers normally heal without
treatment within 1-2 weeks
Good oral hygiene should be maintained,
and spicy/acidic/salty foods and drinks
are best avoided as they may irritate
existing ulcers.
However, they can be exquisitely
painfyl, and there are many over the
counter medicines which can help with
the pain.
Gels like Anbesol, Bonjela,
Campho-Phenique, Orabase B, Zilactin or
Kanka, are readily available in
drugstores. Some people find that such
gels also accelerate the healing of
their ulcers.
Another purported remedy is the use of
Dexaltin Oral Paste (Dexamethasone
1-mg/g).
Triamcinolone Acetonide dental paste
can be very effective; the steroid
reduces the immune system's response in
the area of the ulcer. It is available
by prescription only.
Use of a hydrogen peroxide antiseptic
mouthwash can help to clean debris and
bacteria that can accumulate in an
ulcer, thus reducing complications
associated with its presence. This
treatment is widely available at
pharmacies from companies such as
Colgate, whose product is called
Peroxyl.
Other home remedies vary in efficacy.
Certain techniques heal mouth ulcers
for some people, but you need to
experiment to see what works for
you.
How are mouth ulcers
treated?
Treatments based on antibiotics and
steroids such as Dexamethasone Elixir
are reserved for severe cases, and
should be used only under medical
supervision. Tetracycline suspension is
a common antibiotic prescribed for
mouth ulcers. Some doctors may also
prescribe a local anesthetic, such as
lidocaine, for cases of multiple or
severe mouth ulcers. If it does not
heal within a week, a doctor or dentist
may cauterize it using a silver nitrate
applicator or laser. This procedure
immediately burns off the ulcer,
causing it to completely disappear
within a few hours or two to three
days.
In very severe cases, a doctor may
prescribe a steroid treatment. One such
steroid is methylprednisolone (usually
in a dose-pack), taken orally for a
period of 7 days. Alternatively, the
doctor may directly inject a steroid
into the site of the ulcer which will
usually be completely healed 72 to 96
hours after the injection).
Some dentists recommend a sulfuric acid
solution for treating mouth ulcers,
such as debacterol.