General Health

It takes about 2 weeks for canker sores to heal. During this time, the sores can be painful, although the first 3 to 4 days are usually the worst.

If your child develops canker sores that last longer than 2 weeks or if your child is unable to eat or drink because of the pain, contact your child's doctor. You should also call your child's doctor if the sores appear more than two or three times a year.

Diagnosis
If your child has recurrent canker sores, your child's doctor may want to perform tests to look for possible nutritional deficiencies (which can be corrected with dietary changes or using prescription vitamin supplements), immune system deficiencies, and food or other allergies.

Treatment
Often, canker sores can be easily treated with over-the-counter or even home remedies. Carbamide peroxide is a combination of peroxide and glycerin that cleans out the sore while coating it to protect the wound.

Many over-the-counter remedies have benzocaine, menthol, and eucalyptol in them. These may sting at first and need to be applied repeatedly, but they can reduce pain and shorten the duration of the sore.

You can also have your child rinse his or her mouth with a homemade solution for about a minute, four times a day, as needed. It's extremely important to remember, though, that these rinses should not be swallowed, so they shouldn't be used in children too young to understand not to swallow. Here are the rinse recipes:

• 2 ounces (59 milliliters) of hydrogen peroxide and 2 ounces (59 milliliters) of water
• 4 ounces (118 milliliters) of water mixed with 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of salt and 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of baking soda

Another option to help reduce discomfort and speed healing is dabbing a mixture of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide directly on the sore, followed by a bit of milk of magnesia.

Some doctors suggest applying wet black tea bags to the sore. Black tea contains tannin, an astringent that can help relieve pain. You can also get tannin in over-the-counter medications. Ask the pharmacist for more information.

If your child's doctor prescribes a medicine that should be applied directly to the canker sore, first dry the area with a tissue. Use a cotton swab to apply a small amount of the medication. Finally, avoid eating or drinking for at least 30 minutes to make sure that the medicine isn't immediately washed away and has time to work.

In some cases of severe mouth sores, your child's doctor may prescribe treatments such as immunosuppressive drugs or mouth rinses or gels that contain steroids.

Caring for Your Child
Help make canker sores less painful and prevent them from recurring by encouraging your child to:

• avoid eating abrasive foods, such as potato chips and nuts, which can irritate gums and other delicate mouth tissues
• use only soft bristle toothbrushes and be careful not to brush so hard that they do damage
• avoid any foods he or she is allergic to
• avoid spicy, salty, and acidic foods (such as lemons and tomatoes), which can aggravate tender mouth sores

Although they can certainly be a pain, in most cases, canker sores aren't that big of a deal. Plenty of people have learned to deal with them - and your child can, too.