Silver nitrate or laser on a canker sore?
I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a dentist or ENT who is willing to use silver nitrate or laser on a canker sore (mouth ulcers, not to be confused with cold sores, which are oral herpes), ideally in Oakland/Berkeley/Albany but I'm willing to go farther out if necessary. I've been getting canker sores since I was a child and while I've had good success recently at preventing them with daily sublingual vitamin B12, I still get the occasional painful sore that interferes with my ability to function. I'm unable to talk or eat without extreme pain when I get a bad one and they can even interfere with my ability to sleep. I've found several people online who mentioned that their dentist or ENT used silver nitrate or laser to cauterize their sores but I've never actually found a dentist who does this locally. I'm desperate to find someone who is willing to actually treat the canker sore rather than tell me to suck it up and wait.
Parent Replies
Hi there,
I'm sorry I don't have a recommendation for a dentist or ENT, but have also been getting canker sores my whole life. Just wanted to throw out there that when I get them, I've also had luck taking lysine every few hours which has seemed to me to help with them healing over more quickly.
Good luck!
I totally feel your pain (literally)! I've found that it's super helpful to take Borax (homeopathic) and L-Lysine but they work best if you start immediately after you get the first inkling that a canker sore is coming. Good luck!!
lysine is a supplement that helps a lot too. good luck!
Hi. I'm in the dental industry and get canker sores so can give you some recommendations. I have never heard of silver nitrate or laser cauterizing. However, avoid a visit by rinsing your mouth with warm salt water as many times a day as you can once you realize a sore is developing. It helps. Honestly.
Alternaticely, you can ask a dentist to cauterize the sore with a product called Debacterol. It's a prepared q-tip with acid that cauterizes the sore. You may be charged upwards of $50 for the dentist to do it (you shouldn't do it yourself).
But the warm salt water will save you the trip and cost. Essentially it creates blood flow to the area and healing occurs faster.
Hello,
My brother grew up getting frequent canker sores in his mouth. He avoids eating things with MSG, chili powder, and cinnamon, which exacerbates the condition. He also rinses his mouth with Crest Pro Health mouth wash, which he says works wonders. You might try it first before going the sliver nitrate or laser route.
For prevention, try Sensodyne's Pronamel toothpaste (there are many flavors but we prefer the Fresh Wave). It's available at Target, Walgreen and CVS. Unlike most toothpastes, it's made without an ingredient that triggers canker sores. Also, it makes teeth less sensitive altogether. Probamel is the way to go!
Whenever I get canker sores, I take a Q-tip and dip it in peroxide and push it firmly on the spot and hold it there for a good amount of time. I do several applications at a time, and the sore goes away the next day. It hurts like heck when I do it, but the result is perfect!
After your sore is gone, try using toothpaste that doesn't contain sodium laureth sulphate - same with mouthwash. Has kept them away in this house for years! Most products listed for dry mouth qualify, just be sure to check that they have fluoride if you need that because some of them don't.