When my mouth first exploded with canker sores I was at a complete loss. I feel like I need to explain again; these aren't cold sores (herpes) like some people get on the outside of your mouth, in the corners of your lips and such. These are actual chronic ulcers (Aphthous stomatitis), similar to you can get on your stomach lining or even your skin, but canker sores are ulcers inside your mouth and it's normal for everyone to get one from time to time. Sometimes you can get one if you bite your cheek or if you are overly sensitive to acid foods. In my case the blood vessels in my mouth are bursting because they are inflamed which causes trauma and results in an ulcer.
I can't eat or even brush my teeth when my ulcers are really bad. I discovered over time that normal toothpaste was not going to work for me anymore. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS is the ingredient in most tooth paste to help clean your teeth. It is an irritant and can actually cause canker sores for some normal healthy people. For people with Behcet's it's just painful and unnecessary. So I have used Biotene Dry Mouth for almost 3 years. It is directed towards people who have "dry mouth" (which I don't) but it's SLS free, low foaming and doesn't have that insane mint flavor that will send you through the roof if you have 20 ulcers in your mouth. I also haven't had any cavities since I started using this toothpaste.
I also highly recommend an electric toothbrush. This saved me from a lot of pain. Maneuvering a normal toothbrush around your mouth can be really painful. Having an electric one so you can just hold it in place while just the bristles move is really amazing and makes a huge difference.
Yesterday was the first time I went to the dentist and didn't have a mouth full of canker sores in a long time. It was really nice. When I have canker sores and need to go to the dentist I use my prescription Lidocaine. It's the same stuff the dentist uses to numb your gums before he gives you a shot. If you don't have any at home, ask your dentist to apply theirs to your sores before they start your cleaning. It's not very long lasting so you may need to have them do it again if they're going to be in your mouth for awhile. I also used this a lot when I needed to eat. Careful though, it works well and you can bite your tongue or cheek by accident.
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Ask your dentist to write you a compound mixture for "magic mouthwash" diphenhydramine, lidocaine, and nystatin at a 1:1:1 mixture. You might be able to even add in some type of corticosteroid(yuck) or tetracycline. This could possibly be useful if things get really bad. Nystatin is for fungal growth. Corticosteroids (yuck) are for inflammation and tetracycline is for secondary bacterial infections. Some of this stuff has helped me in the past.
ReplyDeleteI did a Tetracycline rinse for about 6 months a long time ago. It worked sometimes. It was prescribed by a doc that had no idea what was going on but thought it would help. Had to break a capsule into 2 oz of water and then swish with .5 oz 4x a day. It was a pain though I couldn't eat for 2 hours after or 1 hour before and it didnt' really help with the pain. Lol..Now I'm remembering all the other crap I tried like the solution of half pepto bismol and half children's benadryl. That actually felt really soothing and numbing, it gave me some temporary relief so I could eat. I think a pharmacy tech suggested it. This was back when I didn't have insurance and couldn't pay to see a doctor and it was a good alternative.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried the "magic mouthwash"...I wish I had known about it a a couple months ago when I was waiting for the Imuran to kick in. The ulcers were so bad. I called the doctors office and told them "I'm going to explode if you don't give me something for the pain" He prescribed a cream Triamcinolone Acetonide. It makes a really thick film over the sores. It helped with the pain but you can't eat after you apply it and it's like having a mouth full of gritty glue.
The hormonal changes during pregnancy can result in more inflammation and your dentist can show you how to minimize or prevent that inflammation.
ReplyDeleteSedation dentistry
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