Dealing with Canker Sores after Tooth Extraction: When Healing Hurts

Dealing with Canker Sores after Tooth Extraction: When Healing Hurts

June 1, 2023

Aphthous ulcers, called canker sores, are tiny shallow lesions developing on the soft tissues in your mouth or at the gum base. Canker sores, unlike cold sores, don’t appear on lip surfaces and are not contagious. However, they are painful to make eating and speaking challenging.

Canker sores generally disappear by themselves within a week or two. However, visit your doctor or dentist near me if you notice substantial canker sores or have these sores that are not healing.

Causes for Canker Sores

The precise reasons for developing canker sores remain unclear, although researchers believe many factors may contribute to the outbreaks in the same people. Some triggers for canker sores include minor mouth injuries from dental work like tooth extraction, overzealous brushing, accidental cheek biting, food sensitivity, allergic responses to mouth bacteria, emotional stress, et cetera. Canker sores can also result from certain conditions and diseases like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, HIV/AIDS, and a faulty immune system attacking healthy cells in the mouth.

Symptoms of Canker Sores After Tooth Extraction

Canker sores appear round or oval with white or yellow centers and a red border. Canker sores form inside the mouth or under the tongue, the gum base, or the soft palate. You will notice tingling and burning sensations for a couple of days before the sores appear. Different types of canker sores include minor, significant, and herpetiform canker sores.

  • Minor canker sores are standard with an oval shape and a red edge. These heal without scarring in about two weeks.
  • Major canker sores are uncommon and appear more prominent and deeper than the minor variety. Major canker sores are around with defined borders and have irregular edges when they are large and extremely painful. These require about six weeks to heal and can leave scarring.
  • Herpetiform canker sores are also uncommon and develop as people age. However, they are not caused by the herpes infection, are pinpoint in size, occur in clusters of 10 to 100 merging into one large ulcer, have irregular edges, and heal without scarring in one or two weeks.

When Should You See Your Doctor or Dentist

You must consult your dentist if you develop canker sores after tooth extraction or any of the conditions described above. Besides the other reasons mentioned, dental work to remove a tooth can cause canker sores. You must also contact your dentist if you have sharp tooth surfaces or dental appliances that might trigger the sores.

Treatment for Canker Sores After Tooth Extraction

If you develop canker sores after tooth extraction in the Colony, TX, you can visit the dentist to ascertain the reasons for the blisters. Tests are unnecessary to diagnose canker sores if the dentist identifies them with a visual exam. However, occasionally you may have tests to diagnose other problems, especially if the canker sores are severe and persistent.

Minor canker sores don’t usually require treatment and clear by themselves in a week or two. Unfortunately, significant or persistent and painful canker sores need medical attention. Dentists can recommend different treatment options for you to help overcome canker sores.

If having multiple canker sores, the dentist may prescribe a mouth rinse containing steroids dexamethasone to alleviate pain and inflammation or lidocaine for pain relief. In addition, over-the-counter and prescription gels, liquids, creams, and pastes may help relieve pain and speed healing when applied to individual canker sores soon after they appear. Some products contain active ingredients like benzocaine and hydrogen peroxide, et cetera.

You may receive oral medications if the canker sores are severe and do not respond to topical treatments. Oral medications generally include medicines not intended for canker sore treatment but other medicines used for treating intestinal ulcer treatment with a coating agent typically used to treat gout.

You may also receive a prescription for nutritional supplements from your dentist, especially if your consumption of important nutrients like folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 zinc is insufficient. If canker sores result from a severe health issue, the dentist may refer you to your doctor who treated the underlying condition.

Canker sores can develop from the emotional stress you undergo when having dental work like tooth extractions. However, dentists can comfortably treat the sores from the extraction or any other reasons that may have caused them to develop. Therefore when you notice canker sores in your mouth, whether minor or significant, it helps if you contact your dentist or Main Dentistry to receive treatment for the problem. Depending on the severity, the dentists at the facility can help you overcome your canker sores in a week or two.

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