Around 1 in 5 people will suffer from mouth ulcers at some point in their life and 17% of the population suffer from recurrent mouth ulcers. But what causes mouth ulcers? It may surprise you to know that the exact cause of mouth ulcers is still not known.

Most mouth ulcers are caused by things you can try to avoid, such as:

• Biting the inside of your cheek
• Badly fitting dentures, braces, rough fillings or a sharp tooth
• Cuts or burns while eating or drinking – for example, hard food or hot drinks
• Food intolerance or allergy
• Spicy foods
• Damaging your gums with a toothbrush or irritating toothpaste
• Feeling tired, stressed or anxious

The odd mouth ulcer is usually harmless and heals up on its own with the help of treatment. You should seek medical advice from a dentist or GP if you have a mouth ulcer that lasts for 3 weeks or longer or it keeps on coming back.

Occasionally cases of recurrent or complex mouth ulcers can be caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system; nutritional problems, such as vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron deficiency and gastrointestinal tract disease, such as Coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.

Sometimes medications can cause mouth ulcers, if you notice a correlation between your medication and mouth ulcers then it’s important you continue with the medication but get checked out by your GP as soon as possible.

Pain from a mouth ulcer doesn’t usually require treatment however you can use over the counter remedies such as Bonjela which may help to relieve some of the discomfort temporarily. Pain from a mouth ulcer generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two.

If sores are large, painful or persistent, your dentist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse, a corticosteroid ointment, or a prescription or non-prescription solution to reduce the pain and irritation.

1) Eat more fruit and vegetables

Having a healthy mouth has a lot to do with your diet. Even with the best oral hygiene routine (brushing twice a day, flossing once a day), it can still be hard to keep your teeth healthy over the long term if your diet isn’t right.

Eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups helps to promote healthy teeth and gums. This means to maintain a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein foods, calcium-rich foods and whole grains for a healthy smile as well as a healthy body.

2) Stop smoking

We all know that smoking is bad for your health but you might be surprised to see the different ways in which it can affect your oral health:

These include:
• stained teeth
• bad breath (halitosis)
• tooth loss
• gum disease
• loss of taste and smell
• reduced blood supply to the mouth
• an increased build-up of plaque and tartar on your teeth
• delayed healing following dental extractions and other oral surgery
• increased risk of oral cancer

You can get further reading and advice on the by clicking here…

3) Change your toothbrush

A study looking at peoples oral health habits discovered that people were actually changing their toothbrush every 9 months. That’s 6 months longer than recommended. Your toothbrush is home to more than 100 million bacteria including E. coli and staphylococci (Staph) bacteria, according to researchers at the University of Manchester in England.

4) Reduce Stress

Stress can seriously affect your oral health if you are clenching or grinding your jaw/teeth. Teeth grinding is medically known as a condition called bruxism. Many people are often unaware they have this problem, however, if you wake up with a headache or jaw ache there’s a high chance you are grinding.

Your dentist will be able to tell you if you are likely to have bruxism. If you frequently suffer from bruxism it can lead to severely worn teeth and even jaw problems. You can get further information on this here… 

5) Ditch the sugar

Sugar has been hitting the headlines a lot recently. There has never been a better time to ditch or seriously reduce the amount of sugar we consume. Having an occasional treat is okay as long as it occasional and not every day or all day. Many people aren’t aware that it’s actually the frequency of sugary drinks and foods that do the damage not necessarily the quantity. So cut out any unnecessary sugar that you consume frequently such as juice and sugar in hot drinks.