Does Anyone Else Struggle With Canker Sores??

So I have a bit of a rant to get out. I absolutely hate getting canker sores. They are such an annoying and disruptive part of my day and I seem to get them more than the average person. There have been times where I have had upwards of 4 or 5 canker sores at one time all over my tongue, lips, and cheeks, making it impossible for me to enjoy eating and even hard to have conversations with people! What an annoying way to live life. I did a little research into what canker sores are because I was just very confused why I was even getting them. Apparently, canker sores are small ulcers that can form in the mouth, and are white in the middle surrounded by redness in the mouth. There are apparently two kinds of canker sores: simple canker sores, which are what most people get, and complex canker sores, which are less common.

The thing about canker sores is that they usually go away, so it’s not worth trying to go to the dentist or something to get your mouth looked at. Instead, you usually just have to sit through the pain and do your best not to go insane with the annoyance of having random jolts of pain running through your mouth. What’s crazy is that the exact cause of canker sores is not known. How can we not figure these things out?? With all the modern technology and dentistry advancements we have in 2021, you’d think at least one dental expert would have figured it out by now. Unfortunately, we are only left with some possible causes that might affect some people. These include things like stress or minor injury to the inside of the mouth - like if you were to bite down on your tongue on accident. Or maybe you burned your mouth while drinking coffee at work; I did this my first day on the job because I was nervous. 

Eating highly citrus or acidic foods, like oranges or lemons or limes, can also be a cause of getting canker sores. Similarly, it is possible to get canker sores from eating really spicy foods like some hot ramen noodles, chinese, or mexican food. In some rare cases, I read that it’s even possible to have a fever or physical fatigue in the event of some canker sores! I have never experienced this myself, and I don’t know if I would be emotionally capable of handling that. I have my dentist on speed dial just in case I need to head into his office for a canker sore emergency. My dentist is a super nice guy and is very patient with all my hypochondriac needs.

The best way to treat canker sores, from what I’ve found, is through using topical gels or creams that you can just lather on to those suckers. I mean really go to war with those things - it’s you or them. My personal favorite is Oragel, which is something my mom always had on hand while I was growing up. I make sure to have Oragel everywhere I go. I have an Oragel stash in every room of my house, as well as my car, my office at work, and some emergency Oragel supplies in my backpack and wallet. I won’t be caught dead without my sweet, precious Oragel.