worried about worsening mouth ulcers, advice is much appreciated

[Razo]

For the majority of my 17yo life, every few months to even a year apart, i've had ulcers appearing in my mouth, usually due to no comprehensible reason at all. They were usually just a minor weekend affair that would be little more than a slight inconvenience, but this year, the two times i've had mouth ulcers appear have been anything but a stroll in the park, Lasting almost two weeks, larger and so painful i had trouble talking properly and eating anything for a few days, and at around the same time around two other small ulcers would appear at around the same time.

I've seen the doctor and they haven't said it could be anything, but i'm a little more concerned, especially if it'll only worsen later in my life. No one else in my family has been affected by this so it puzzles me with what it could possibly be.
Another effect i've been noticing is the gums lining some teeth bleed whenever i brush, this could possibly be related. Unfortunately, i feel that part of me is to blame, as my dental hygiene throughout my life has been fairly average at best.

Basically, i just wanted to ask to see if anyone else has had this problem, or knows what may cause it? this may irrelevant, but through some blood tests over the past 2 years, including one last week, i've had an excess in iron, could this be at all related? sometimes my iron tests have come out normal and the last time i was told not to fast before the test, either way, what could this mean? also would anyone know what a good cure/treatment to the symptoms could be? deeply thankful in advance for any advice.

EDIT: one more thing, some people tell me to brush before meals, some after meals, and some both, which is it?

[sassycassidy]

I would advise You go to the Dentist, and have Your mouth checked, and x-rayed, plus a good cleaning~~When Your gums bleed they is generally Periodontal problems, which I would think would be partly to cause the ulcers.The bottom line is brushing, flossing, and keeping You mouth clean will enhance Your overall health~Digestion starts in the mouth~~so don't send nad bacteria down with each bite~~Have a fresh mouth.
Have to go to work~~but wondering also if You are eating a certain something, that is causing the ulcers?
Ciao, Cassidy

[Matthew Shea]

In my personal experience, problems like that only crop up when I get lax in brushing my teeth. I'd strongly suggest developing a habit of always brushing morning and night. I was always average in my dental hygene habits, too, but I've been getting better and better at this lately and have had very few sores. Flossing is important, too, but brushing twice a day really did the trick with me. I'm finally at the point where I won't even consider going to bed without brushing. If you get there, too, you should notice a big difference.

[Kaspian]

First, I would start cleaning your teeth daily. Several of the pages on mouth ulcers that came up on Google mentioned dental hygiene. The bacteria that live in our mouths produces nasty, sticky waste that irritates our gums and can cause tooth decay. Anything that irritates your gums can probably irritate the inside of your mouth. Consider gently brushing your tongue, the base of your gums, and the insides of your cheeks.

My current dentist is a fanatic about clean teeth, and when I saw him the first time, he presented some very convincing arguments for being thorough and consistent about getting your teeth clean. I posted his 7 Steps to Great Dental Health here. Note: if your gums are already inflamed, they will probably bleed the first few days you use stim-u-dents and floss. Do it anyway. Even if you don't get stim-u-dents and go through all seven steps daily, at least brush and floss.

Other things to consider—vitamin deficiency and physical causes. You mentioned that you've got plenty of iron in your system, but what about vitamin C and B vitamins, especially B12? As for physical causes, is there anything that's causing breaks or abrasions in the skin such as hot foods/drinks, braces, a chipped tooth, rough brushing, or accidentally biting the inside of your mouth? If so, wait for the coffee to cool a bit more, get wax for the braces, see a dentist about the tooth, brush more gently, or whatever.

A couple of articles:
BBC Health
Medic8

[Matthew Shea]

Kaspian's post reminded me of another thing: stay away from stuff like potato chips and other "sharp" foods that can tend to cut up the inside of your mouth, as sensitive as it seems to be currently. After brushing and flossing regularly for a few weeks, everything should be healed up well enough to resume such foods (in moderation, of course).

[escapee]

Stay away from processed food
Stay away from fast food
Stay away from sweet fruit like orange, banana and etc for a while until you have recovered (through your immune system). I had horrible gum inflammation for "overeating" sweet fruits twice in the past, which helped me realizing that the amount is more important than the kind of carbohydrate eaten (Eg: Refined sugar Vs natural fruits ) .

Stay away from distilled water.
Stay away from refined sugar, soda and the like that will depress your immune system

[carenkh]

I used to have that problem, also. Consistent dental hygiene has taken care of it, as well as removing yeast-producing foods from my diet. Swishing with a product like Oral-B Amosan really helped ease the discomfort, and quickened healing.

My intuition is also telling me it's related to vitamin B - a good B-complex can work wonders! Shaklee and Solaray are both good brands.

[escapee]

as well as removing yeast-producing foods

Not surprising to me as yeast also love sugar

[Razo]

Thank you so much for all the advice!
my diet is fairly good, and i can't think of anything i'm eating that could cause the problem, i will however certainly be more wary of hot & sharp foods. I'm certain that all my other vitamins are fine, though all i really saw when i had the tests was the iron levels due to its abnormalities, but i'll certainly check next time i go. I'm pretty sure that both times i've had one this year, it was due to accidental biting, but the ulcer when way out of proportion, probably due to my average dental hygiene.

For now I'll definitely begin to get into a good habit for brushing my teeth, I'll start going twice daily and I'll definitely try to make an appointment with a dentist as soon as possible. also, i've never seen stim-u-dents before, hopefully they sell them in Australia? either way, the seven steps were great so i'll keep them in mind, thank you.

Also would it be ideal to use mouthwash like listerine? i noticed that no one mentioned it. anyway, thankyou for all the advice i'll keep it in mind, its time for me to form a new habit!

[sassycassidy]

Great that You are planning Your actions~~Brushing, and all.
I think You could start with diluted Listerine for a few days, it is so strong You may quit with full strength, especially if Your mouth is sore.
Stim-u-dents are kinda of like flat tapered soft toothpicks~~would be great if You can find them.
I worked as a Dental Assistant about 35 years ago``(Ohhh My), but remember Your Dental Health is Important~~Bad teeth and Gums can lead to Heart Disease, and NOW is a Great time to do all You can to avoid that from happening.
Have an Awesome week Razo, and I hope You never get another mouth ulcer..
Namaste,
Cassidy

[Matthew Shea]

In my experience, mouthwash isn't necessary if you're brushing reliably twice a day. It might help heal the ulcers more quickly, though. Stim-U-Dents are basically a fancy way to floss.

[Kaspian]

Stim-U-Dents are basically a fancy way to floss.

Yes, but they're also more effective. Using both floss and Stim-U-Dents is even better. (That's what my dentist teaches, anyway.)

If you can't find them in Australia, flat toothpicks should work fine.

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by Matthew Shea

I'm finally at the point where I won't even consider going to bed without brushing. If you get there, too, you should notice a big difference.

Thanks Matt, that's good advice.

[CoolStuff]

Brushing doesn't help me. I'm even brushing 3 times a day. In fact I got my 4 kanker sores after I went to the dentist's office. I suffered for about 3 days. I think the worst is over now.

[ZoFlies]

Originally Posted by Razo

For the majority of my 17yo life, every few months to even a year apart, i've had ulcers appearing in my mouth, usually due to no comprehensible reason at all. They were usually just a minor weekend affair that would be little more than a slight inconvenience, but this year, the two times i've had mouth ulcers appear have been anything but a stroll in the park, Lasting almost two weeks, larger and so painful i had trouble talking properly and eating anything for a few days, and at around the same time around two other small ulcers would appear at around the same time.

I've seen the doctor and they haven't said it could be anything, but i'm a little more concerned, especially if it'll only worsen later in my life. No one else in my family has been affected by this so it puzzles me with what it could possibly be.
Another effect i've been noticing is the gums lining some teeth bleed whenever i brush, this could possibly be related. Unfortunately, i feel that part of me is to blame, as my dental hygiene throughout my life has been fairly average at best.

Basically, i just wanted to ask to see if anyone else has had this problem, or knows what may cause it? this may irrelevant, but through some blood tests over the past 2 years, including one last week, i've had an excess in iron, could this be at all related? sometimes my iron tests have come out normal and the last time i was told not to fast before the test, either way, what could this mean? also would anyone know what a good cure/treatment to the symptoms could be? deeply thankful in advance for any advice.

EDIT: one more thing, some people tell me to brush before meals, some after meals, and some both, which is it?

When I was about your age I had the same problems (minus the bleeding and iron in the blood.)
1- Make sure you are brushing 2x per day
2- when you have an ulcer brush at least 3x... basically you need to brush and swish after you eat ANYTHING. You have to keep your mouth clean in order for the ulcers to stop growing and heal
3- also start flossing (if you aren't)
4- one trick that someone recommended to me was to try Listerene. I would swish several times a day with it (only when I had ulcers) and it would cut the duration I had them by half!!
5- I cut fluoride out of my toothpaste. One of my favorite brands (found at whole foods) is Weleda
6- Don't buy toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate. (weleda doesn't have any) It's just the stuff that makes toothpaste bubbly. I found that it tended to enhance the frequency of my ulcers.

So I didn't use SLS or fluoride any time and brushed and flossed all the time.
I did Listerene and added extra brushing when I had an ulcer.

Some might argue you might have something else going on like stress, or food allergy, or something else. I don't know because I'm not a doctor... all I know is what helped me!

Hope this works!
I know how painful they can be (ex. even water stings)... so feel free to contact me with any questions!

Peace.

[Dharma]

When I was younger I used to get them as worse as you're getting them now.
It's not dental hygiene or when you brush. Look at what happens when you have them: it hurts to eat and it hurts to talk. When sores like this come up, you're blocking your normal flow of energy in the body. And the body lets you know quite painfully.

But we want to make it about the brushing, flossing, food, phases of the moon, or side of the bed we sleep on so we don't deal with the issue at hand.

eating is how you nurture yourself.
talking is how you express yourself.

You are blocking your flow of self-nurturance and self-expression. Think of how you do not support yourself during your day. Do you let yourself get stressed out? Do you take a break when you want to? Do you ignore signals coming from yourself to do different things than you are doing? Blocking all that can leave you feeling less than kind to yourself.

Self expression. What are you not saying? What are you not expressing? If you're no supporting yourself you might be silently mad at yourself or projecting it on to others.

Look at these two areas of your life more closely, especially when the sores start.

[Razo]

Thanks again for all the advice! I've been brushing at least 2x a day now and I feel incredibly better, which may be an obvious thing, i feel much cleaner, and even two sores that have appeared, disappeared shortly after and never became even the slightest bit bothersome, which was a massive relief considering how bad it was before.

I do believe that perhaps if stress is a cause for these symptoms, it may be partly to blame, there's been a lot of changes in my life this year and i do recall being quite stressed several times, it took me a while to become aware of that so i'm starting to take it easy now, and am feeling much better for it (mentally and physically).

thanks again for all your help

Thanks zoflies for all the suggestions! i'll definately give weleda a shot, i think part of the reason i strayed from listerine in the first place, was because i wasn't sure whether the pain would just make it last longer or not.

[maclinda]

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide make a great toothpaste, without all the strange things they're putting in toothpaste these days. You can even add a bit of mint if you like that flavor.

[karlos768]

excuse my simple answer, but dont worry u will only make it worse.

sorry if that aint helpful, but if it made you smile, then my work is done

[angelairene]

I would like to throw some thoughts at you from way out left field, since you have already gotten some good advice from the more rational minded.
I would venture to say that you have some things on your mind that you are unable to get out. These things are painful and eating away at you. the more you harbor these feelings the worse your self esteem is. This problem is a physical one to be sure. Your body is producing toxins that are trying to come out. The problem is manifesting in your mouth, because you are dying to speak your mind. Or perhaps you do speak your mind and the things you say make you feel like a bad person.
I would suggest joining a group where you can let it all out.
You are welcomed to write me. Just pretend I am the person you wish you could say these things to, and you may begin to see all the things you have been holding inside.
I have herpes myself. But I havent had an outbreak in over a decade. the secret i learned with my dis ease is that it all has to do with guilt. I was holding back sexually, having had engrained in me a Catholic mentallity that I wasnt even aware of. I was feeling ashamed and i didnt even know it. this guilt and shame manifested as these painful and oh so embarressing sores which made it impossible for me to recieve pleasure (pleasure I didnt think I deserved). I have a much better attitude about my sexuallity now. If I even get a tinge of an oncoming sore, i do a mental review, find out what sort of pleasure I am unconscously denying myself (not just sexual) , and it seems that simply being aware of it denates the necessity for the dis ease to manifest in my body.
Also I hear sucking on a zinc tablet is good for mouth ulcers, but I dont know which is worse the ulcer or the zinc and the numbing effects.
Hope these ideas will help you
Peace
Angie

[turbosaab]

I have found hydrogen peroxide to be effective; you can use it as a mouthwash.

[CoolStuff]

Originally Posted by Dharma

When I was younger I used to get them as worse as you're getting them now.
It's not dental hygiene or when you brush. Look at what happens when you have them: it hurts to eat and it hurts to talk. When sores like this come up, you're blocking your normal flow of energy in the body. And the body lets you know quite painfully.

But we want to make it about the brushing, flossing, food, phases of the moon, or side of the bed we sleep on so we don't deal with the issue at hand.

eating is how you nurture yourself.
talking is how you express yourself.

You are blocking your flow of self-nurturance and self-expression. Think of how you do not support yourself during your day. Do you let yourself get stressed out? Do you take a break when you want to? Do you ignore signals coming from yourself to do different things than you are doing? Blocking all that can leave you feeling less than kind to yourself.

Self expression. What are you not saying? What are you not expressing? If you're no supporting yourself you might be silently mad at yourself or projecting it on to others.

Look at these two areas of your life more closely, especially when the sores start.

Interesting, that makes sense. I was really down on Friday and they formed yesterday and now it's obvious they are sores now. They're not bad but they grew a lot since yesterday, even though I barely thought of them yesterday. Any advice?

I'm brushing, I have Tom's toothpaste, no fluoride but there is SLS.