Canker sores....what are they and why do I get them?

Overview

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  Canker sore

Canker sores, also called aphthous ulcers, are small, shallow lesions that develop on the soft tissues in your mouth or at the base of your gums. Unlike cold sores, canker sores don't occur on the surface of your lips and they aren't contagious. They can be painful, however, and can make eating and talking difficult.

Most canker sores go away on their own in a week or two. Check with your doctor or dentist if you have unusually large or painful canker sores or canker sores that don't seem to heal.

Symptoms

Most canker sores are round or oval with a white or yellow center and a red border. They form inside your mouth — on or under your tongue, inside your cheeks or lips, at the base of your gums, or on your soft palate. You might notice a tingling or burning sensation a day or two before the sores actually appear.

There are several types of canker sores, including minor, major and herpetiform sores.

Minor canker sores

Minor canker sores are the most common and:

• Are usually small
• Are oval shaped with a red edge
• Heal without scarring in one to two weeks

Major canker sores

Major canker sores are less common and:

• Are larger and deeper than minor canker sores
• Are usually round with defined borders, but may have irregular edges when very large
• Can be extremely painful
• May take up to six weeks to heal and can leave extensive scarring

Herpetiform canker sores

Herpetiform canker sores are uncommon and usually develop later in life, but they're not caused by herpes virus infection. These canker sores:

• Are pinpoint size
• Often occur in clusters of 10 to 100 sores, but may merge into one large ulcer
• Have irregular edges
• Heal without scarring in one to two weeks

When to see a doctor

Consult your doctor if you experience:

• Unusually large canker sores
• Recurring sores, with new ones developing before old ones heal, or frequent outbreaks
• Persistent sores, lasting two weeks or more
• Sores that extend into the lips themselves (vermilion border)
• Pain that you can't control with self-care measures
• Extreme difficulty eating or drinking
• High fever along with canker sores

See your dentist if you have sharp tooth surfaces or dental appliances that seem to trigger the sores.

Causes

The precise cause of canker sores remains unclear, though researchers suspect that a combination of factors contributes to outbreaks, even in the same person.

Possible triggers for canker sores include:

• A minor injury to your mouth from dental work, overzealous brushing, sports mishaps or an accidental cheek bite
• Toothpastes and mouth rinses containing sodium lauryl sulfate
• 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
• Hormonal shifts during menstruation
• Emotional stress

Canker sores may also occur because of certain conditions and diseases, such as:

• Celiac disease, a serious intestinal disorder caused by a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in most grains
• Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• Behcet's disease, a rare disorder that causes inflammation throughout the body, including the mouth
• A faulty immune system that attacks healthy cells in your mouth instead of pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria
• HIV/AIDS, which suppresses the immune system

Unlike cold sores, canker sores are not associated with herpes virus infections.

Risk factors

Anyone can develop canker sores. But they occur more often in teens and young adults, and they're more common in females.

Often people with recurrent canker sores have a family history of the disorder. This may be due to heredity or to a shared factor in the environment, such as certain foods or allergens.

Prevention

Canker sores often recur, but you may be able to reduce their frequency by following these tips:

• Watch what you eat. Try to avoid foods that seem to irritate your mouth. These may include nuts, chips, pretzels, certain spices, salty foods and acidic fruits, such as pineapple, grapefruit and oranges. Avoid any foods to which you're sensitive or allergic.
• Choose healthy foods. To help prevent nutritional deficiencies, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Follow good oral hygiene habits. Regular brushing after meals and flossing once a day can keep your mouth clean and free of foods that might trigger a sore. Use a soft brush to help prevent irritation to delicate mouth tissues, and avoid toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
• Protect your mouth. If you have braces or other dental appliances, ask your dentist about orthodontic waxes to cover sharp edges.
• Reduce your stress. If your canker sores seem to be related to stress, learn and use stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation and guided imagery.

Thumbsucking And Soothers

Children need to stop sucking their thumb and using a pacifier between ages 2-4, before the adult teeth start to erupt.  Otherwise an open bite, as shown, may develop.

Bleeding Gums Are Not Normal!

Gum disease having devastating impact on general health and well-being warn dentists

Credit: University of Bristol

A new report has revealed that the number of people affected by tooth decay and gum disease is having a widespread and devastating impact not only on patients mouths but also on their general health and wellbeing, particularly in the older population.

 

 

    

The study, led by an international team of periodontists including researchers at the Bristol Dental School at the University of Bristol, reviewed all available data, publishing 15 systematic reviews on the evidence and published consensus findings, and found that ten per cent of the global population—743 million people—are affected by severe gum disease.
The findings were announced at the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), the leading global voice on gum health and gum disease and published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, one of the most authoritative scientific publications in this field.
The papers were discussed at the XIII European Workshop of Periodontology, a joint workshop between the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and European Organization for Caries Research (ORCA).
Left untreated, gum disease causes tooth loss and in its more severe forms, periodontitis which is independently associated with increased mortality rates due to a higher risk of atherogenic cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and related complications.
Professor Nicola West, Head of Restorative Dentistry and Director of the Clinical Trials Unit at Bristol Dental School and Hospital, who compiled the consensus findings, said: "The burden of these diseases is high and is increasing as the population ages. Both tooth decay and gum disease can lead to nutritional compromise and negative impact on self-esteem and quality of life. These findings help underline to dental professionals and the public the importance of oral health and that it is often an indicator of general health issues."
The study' recommendations include:

• Dental professionals should be consulted regularly to prevent and treat caries and periodontal diseases effectively.
• Bleeding gums are not normal. Dental professionals should be consulted immediately.
• Periodontal disease should be seen as an indicator of general health issues.
• Reducing sugar and starch intake levels and frequency is important in preventing periodontal disease and caries. Intake should be limited to mealtimes.
• Brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste is essential and can also be supplemented with additional effective agents that reduce plaque, such as those found in mouthwash and toothpastes.

 

Be Nice To Your Dentist Today!

Red WIne.....Who Knew!?

    

Wine polyphenols could fend off bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease

February 21, 2018
American Chemical Society

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Sipping wine is good for your colon and heart, possibly because of the beverage's abundant and structurally diverse polyphenols. Now researchers report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that wine polyphenols might also be good for your oral health.

Traditionally, some health benefits of polyphenols have been attributed to the fact that these compounds are antioxidants, meaning they likely protect the body from harm caused by free radicals. However, recent work indicates polyphenols might also promote health by actively interacting with bacteria in the gut. That makes sense because plants and fruits produce polyphenols to ward off infection by harmful bacteria and other pathogens. M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and colleagues wanted to know whether wine and grape polyphenols would also protect teeth and gums, and how this could work on a molecular level.
The researchers checked out the effect of two red wine polyphenols, as well as commercially available grape seed and red wine extracts, on bacteria that stick to teeth and gums and cause dental plaque, cavities and periodontal disease. Working with cells that model gum tissue, they found that the two wine polyphenols in isolation—caffeic and p-coumaric acids—were generally better than the total wine extracts at cutting back on the bacteria's ability to stick to the cells. When combined with the Streptococcus dentisani, which is believed to be an oral probiotic, the polyphenols were even better at fending off the pathogenic bacteria. The researchers also showed that metabolites formed when digestion of the polyphenols begins in the mouth might be responsible for some of these effects.

More information: "Inhibition of Oral Pathogens Adhesion to Human Gingival Fibroblasts by Wine Polyphenols Alone and in Combination with an Oral Probiotic" Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2018). pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05466
Provided by: American Chemical Society  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's day..........get in to get those teeth checked!

The Link Between Periodontal Disease And Cancer Is Real

                        

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Data collected during a long-term health study provides additional evidence for a link between increased risk of cancer in individuals with advanced gum disease, according to a new collaborative study led by epidemiologists Dominique Michaud at Tufts University School of Medicine and Elizabeth Platz of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Kimmel Cancer Center.

            The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, used data from comprehensive dental exams performed on 7,466 participants from Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, and North Carolina, as part of their participation in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study who were then followed from the late 1990s until 2012. During the follow-up period, 1,648 new cancer cases were diagnosed.

The research team found a 24 percent increase in the risk of developing cancer among participants with severe periodontitis, compared to those with mild to no periodontitis at baseline. Among patients who had no teeth— which can be a sign of severe periodontitis—the increase in risk was 28 percent. The highest risk was observed in cases of lung cancer, followed by colorectal cancer.
When the researchers did sub-group analyses, they found that participants with severe periodontal disease had more than double the risk of developing lung cancer, compared with no/mild periodontitis. An 80 percent increase in risk of colon cancer observed for participants who were edentulous at baseline, which is consistent with prior findings, and among never smokers, a two-fold higher risk was noted for participants with severe periodontitis, compared to those who had no/mild periodontitis.
"This is the largest study addressing the association of gum disease and cancer risk using dental examinations to measure gum disease prior to cancer diagnosis," said first and corresponding author Dominique Michaud, Sc.D., professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. "Additional research is needed to evaluate if periodontal disease prevention and treatment could help alleviate the incidence of cancer and reduce the number of deaths due to certain types of cancer."

Michaud noted that the findings were particularly interesting in light of research, including a recent study in Science, which determined that colorectal cancer tissues contain bacteria that are present in the mouth, including bacteria that have been associated with periodontal disease.
The researchers also uncovered a small increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with severe periodontitis. Although not significant statistically, the association has been seen in other similar studies, including a number of studies led by Michaud of Tufts.
The research team accounted for the impact of smoking among the participants, since people who smoke are more likely to get periodontal disease, and smoking raises the risk of lung and colon cancers.
"When we looked at data for the people who had never smoked, we also found evidence that having severe periodontal disease was related to an increased risk of lung cancer and colorectal cancer," said Elizabeth Platz, Sc.D., deputy chair of the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
The ARIC data were especially useful to study because unlike most previous research linking gum disease and cancer risk, periodontitis cases were determined from dental examinations performed as part of the ARIC study rather than participants' self-reports of the disease. The dental exams provided detailed measurements of the depth of the pocket between the gum and tooth in several locations in the mouth. The ARIC data include both Caucasian and African-American participants.
The researchers found no links between increased risk of breast, prostate or blood/lymphatic cancer and periodontitis. The link between periodontitis and increased cancer risk was weaker or not apparent in African-American participants from the ARIC study, except in cases of lung and colorectal cancer. "Additional research is needed to understand cancer-site specific and racial differences in findings," wrote the authors. The researchers caution that the study was limited in size for subgroup analyses, and less common cancers. The findings, however, suggest the need for further study.
Michaud and Platz said the study also points to the importance of expanding dental insurance to more individuals. "Knowing more about the risks that come about with periodontal disease might give more support to having dental insurance in the way that we should be offering health insurance to everyone," Platz said.
Advanced gum disease, also called periodontitis, is caused by bacterial infection that damages the soft tissue and bone that support the teeth. Previous research has shown a link between periodontitis and increased cancer risk, although the mechanism connecting the two diseases is still uncertain.

                                                

                                                                                                                                             

 

 

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