How long do canker sores take to go away

September 29, 2014

A canker sore is a small, painful, shallow ulcer that appears inside the mouth; they may form on the tongue, the back portion of the roof of your mouth, or inside your cheeks. The exact cause of most canker sores is still unknown, although stress or tissue injury is thought to be the cause of most simple canker sores. Highly acidic foods can also trigger a canker sore or make the problem worse. Some cases of complex canker sores are caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system or nutritional deficiencies involving vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron. Other medical conditions like gastrointestinal tract disease, celiac disease, or Crohn’s disease could also be the culprit. If you have a canker sore that has lasted more than a week or two, you should make an appointment with the dentists at Smile By Design today. Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck can help you get immediate treatment and relief. Smile By Design is conveniently located in Virginia Beach, VA and proudly serves patients throughout Norfolk, Sandbridge, Portsmouth, Fort Story and surrounding communities.

Table of Contents Show

September 29, 2014
Types of Canker Sores
Treatment for Canker Sores in Virginia Beach, VA
How you can treat mouth ulcers yourself
A pharmacist can help with mouth ulcers
Non-urgent advice: See a dentist or GP if your mouth ulcer:
Treatment from a dentist or GP
Check if you have a mouth ulcer
Causes of mouth ulcers
What gets rid of canker sores fast?
Can a canker sore go away in 3 days?
How do you know a canker sore is healing?
What causes canker sores in the mouth?

Types of Canker Sores

There are two types of canker sores. The first type is the simple canker sore. These may appear sporadically three or four times per year and last for up to a week. They typically afflict young people between the ages of 10 and 20 years old. The second type is the complex canker sore. Complex canker sores are larger than simple canker sores, extremely painful, take more than a month to heal and can possibly leave a scar. They are less common and occur more often in people who have a long history of simple canker sores. People often confuse canker sores with cold sores but they are not the same. Cold sores, also known as fever blisters or herpes simplex type 1, are groups of painful, fluid filled blisters. Unlike canker sores, cold sores are caused by a virus and are extremely contagious. While canker sores only appear inside the mouth, cold sores typically appear outside the mouth, under the nose, around the lips, or under the chin.

Treatment for Canker Sores in Virginia Beach, VA

Usually, the pain from a canker sore lessens in a few days, and the sores heal themselves without treatment in about a week or two. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment with the experienced dentists of Smile By Design immediately as these may be signs of a more serious medical condition:

Unusually large sores
Sores that are spreading throughout your mouth
Sores that last three weeks or longer
Intense pain despite avoiding acidic foods and taking pain medication
Difficulty drinking enough fluids
High fever accompanying the canker sores

Smile By Design is located in Virginia Beach, VA,
with service to patients from the nearby communities of Norfolk, Sandbridge,
Portsmouth and Fort Story.

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Mouth ulcers are common and should clear up on their own within a week or 2. But see a GP or dentist if you have a mouth ulcer that lasts longer than 3 weeks.

How you can treat mouth ulcers yourself

Mouth ulcers are rarely a sign of anything serious, but may be uncomfortable to live with.

They need time to heal and there's no quick fix.

Avoiding things that irritate your mouth ulcer should help:

speed up the healing process
reduce pain
reduce the chance of it returning

Do

use a soft-bristled toothbrush
drink cool drinks through a straw
eat softer foods
get regular dental check-ups
eat a healthy, balanced diet

Don’t

do not eat very spicy, salty or acidic food
do not eat rough, crunchy food, such as toast or crisps
do not drink very hot or acidic drinks, such as fruit juice
do not use chewing gum
do not use toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate

A pharmacist can help with mouth ulcers

A pharmacist can recommend a treatment to speed up healing, prevent infection or reduce pain, such as:

antimicrobial mouthwash
a painkilling tablet, mouthwash, gel or spray
corticosteroid lozenges
a salt (saline) mouthwash

You can buy these without a prescription, but they may not always work.

How to rinse with salt mouthwash

Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water – warm water helps salt dissolve.
Rinse your mouth with the solution, then spit it out – do not swallow it.
Repeat as often as you like.

Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a dentist or GP if your mouth ulcer:

lasts longer than 3 weeks
keeps coming back
grows bigger than usual or is near the back of your throat
bleeds or becomes more painful and red – this may be a sign of an infection

Although most mouth ulcers are harmless, a long-lasting mouth ulcer is sometimes a sign of mouth cancer. It's best to get it checked.

Treatment from a dentist or GP

A GP or dentist may prescribe stronger medicine to treat severe, persistent or infected mouth ulcers.

Possible treatments include:

steroid mouth spray or steroid tablets that dissolve in your mouth
painkilling gels, ointments, sprays or tablets
mouthwashes to kill or remove any germs in your mouth

Check if you have a mouth ulcer

Mouth ulcers usually appear inside the mouth, on the cheeks or lips.

Ulcers can also appear on the tongue.

You may have more than 1 ulcer at a time, and they can change in size.

Mouth ulcers are not contagious and should not be confused with cold sores.

Cold sores appear on the lips or around the mouth and often begin with a tingling, itching or burning sensation.

Causes of mouth ulcers

Most single 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
a food intolerance or allergy
damaging your gums with a toothbrush or irritating toothpaste
feeling tired, stressed or anxious

Sometimes they're triggered by things you cannot always control, such as:

hormonal changes – such as during pregnancy
your genes – some families get mouth ulcers more often
a vitamin B12 or iron deficiency
medicines – including some NSAIDs, beta blockers or nicorandil
stopping smoking – people may develop mouth ulcers when they first stop smoking

If you have several mouth ulcers, it can be a symptom of:

hand, foot and mouth disease, which also causes a rash on the hands and feet
oral lichen planus, which causes a white, lacy pattern inside the cheeks
Crohn's disease and coeliac disease (conditions that affect the digestive system)
a weakened immune system from having a condition like HIV or lupus

Page last reviewed: 19 January 2021
Next review due: 19 January 2024

What gets rid of canker sores fast?

Use salt water or baking soda rinse (dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 cup warm water). Dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on your canker sore a few times a day. Avoid abrasive, acidic or spicy foods that can cause further irritation and pain.

Can a canker sore go away in 3 days?

Canker sore pain usually improves in a few days and the ulcers typically heal within two weeks, even without treatment. If you have a canker sore that lasts for more than two weeks, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider.

How do you know a canker sore is healing?

In the next stage, the typical yellow-gray ulcer forms, with redness surrounding the ulcer like a halo. During this period, the pain may increase. Finally, the healing stage begins, and healthy tissue starts closing over the sore. The pain goes away as the ulcer gets smaller.

What causes canker sores in the mouth?

Food sensitivities, particularly to chocolate, coffee, strawberries, eggs, nuts, cheese, and spicy or acidic foods. A diet lacking in vitamin B-12, zinc, folate (folic acid) or iron. An allergic response to certain bacteria in your mouth. Helicobacter pylori, the same bacteria that cause peptic ulcers.