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Your Toothpaste May Be Giving You Canker Sores And... Bad Breath!
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Canker sores, also known as mouth ulcers, plague the lives of
millions of people all over the world. These small oral ulcers
can make life unbearable when eating, drinking, speaking or swallowing.
Frustration sets in when your dentist or doctor doesn't know how to
respond to your questions about these annoying and recurring ulcerations.
Unfortunately, many people are actually creating their own canker sore
problems by using commercial toothpastes containing an ingredient proven
to be linked to canker sores. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is placed into
toothpaste and some mouthwashes to create that foaming effect that we
have come to rely upon. Did you know that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is also
the main ingredient in your shampoo? Check it out!
The harshness of this chemical has been proven to create microscopic
damage to the oral tissue which lines the inside of your mouth... and
this leads to canker sores. TheraBreath Oral Products do not
contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - never have, never will -
and are the only group of oral products designed to fight bad breath
that are 100% SLS-free.
The Science Of Canker Sores
Canker sores are also known as mouth ulcers, aphthous ulcers, recurrent
aphthous stomatitis or oral ulcers.
Many people, including doctors, confuse canker sores with cold sores
that are really fever blisters. Although both types of sores are
painful, annoying and recurring, there are major differences:
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Canker Sores
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Cold Sores
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Only occur inside the mouth
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Mostly on outside of the mouth, sometimes on the inside of the mouth, but appear only on hard surfaces, such as the palate
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Not Contagious
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Contagious
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Not Viral, not caused by a virus
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Caused by viruses
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Caused by damage to oral tissue, often by Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a common foaming agent ingredient in almost all toothpastes
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First sign is the appearance of small blisters called vesicles
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What Causes Canker Sores?
The latest research shows that certain chemical compounds trigger the
production of canker sores, and one of those compounds is... soap. Yes soap,
inside your mouth! For many years, major pharmaceutical companies have used soap
(chemically known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, SLS) to create a foaming agent when
you brush your teeth. Why? Even though the foam doesn't provide any benefits to
the toothpaste, it does fool you, the user, into thinking that the foaming action
is directly related to the strength of the cleaning action. After speaking with
many of these pharmaceutical companies, their most common reply is,
"We use Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as a surfactant to blend all of our ingredients
together and make them work more effectively." A surfactant is a chemical
agent that allows other chemical molecules to get closer to each other.
However, there are many surfactants out there that are not soapy and do not
cause allergic reactions that can result in canker sore production.
The establishment of the link between the development of canker sores and the SLS
additive common to almost all commercial toothpastes is a very important medical
discovery.
Because SLS acts just like a detergent, it is used in the laboratory
as a membrane destabilizer and solubilizer of proteins and lipids. SLS is used
in toothpaste to emulsify (mix together) oil and water-based ingredients.
Because SLS is classified as a soap, you can easily understand why, for many people,
this ingredient can cause drying inside the mouth. And remember, dryness is one of
several factors that lead to bad breath!
For susceptible individuals, SLS can cause
microscopic trauma or membrane disruption to the skin cells in the mouth…
and this trauma or disruption of the immune system can lead to canker sore
formation.
Recent studies have also shown a link between the use of toothpastes
containing SLS and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), also known as canker sores
or mouth ulcers.
A Synopsis Of Three European Scientific Studies
At the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway, Drs. Barkvoll and Brokstad
revealed a 60% to 70% reduction in the number of canker sores in patients
who used SLS-free toothpaste during the three month test period.
Additional studies have since shown equally promising results.
In these clinical studies, patients using an SLS toothpaste displayed a greater
amount of desquamation (loss of a layer of skin lining the inside of the mouth).
This discovery led to the theory that SLS may contribute to RAS (canker sores)
by causing injury to the oral epithelial cells (skin cells lining the inside of the mouth).
By denaturing protective mucus proteins, SLS can also disrupt the protective layer
of mucus which lines the inside of the mouth. A denatured protein is a protein which
has lost its three dimensional shape and thereby becomes nonfunctional and useless.
The denaturing of mucus proteins makes the cells lining the mouth more susceptible to injury
and canker sore formation.
REFERENCES
1. Herlofson, Bente and Barkvoll, Pal. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Recurrent
Aphthous Ulcers: A Preliminary Study. Acta Odontol Scand. 1994, 52:257-259
2. Herlofson, Bente and Barkvoll, Pal. The Effect of Two Toothpaste Detergents on the
Frequency of Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers. Acta Odontol Scand. 1996, 54(3): 150-153
3. Barkvoll, Pal and G. Rolla,
Possible Effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) on the Oral Mucosa.
J Dent Res. 1989, 68:991
What is especially exciting about these findings is that many of my patients have
experienced tremendous improvements as a result of using SLS-free toothpaste.
As well, many visitors to my website have found canker sore relief by using an
SLS-free toothpaste.
At the present time, research is being conducted to determine
what makes a person susceptible to canker sores in the first place, in addition
to what actions and mechanisms trigger canker sore outbreaks.
Among those things that may trigger an attack or make a person more susceptible are:
1. SLS found in toothpaste and some mouthwashes
2. Allergies to food products and certain preservatives
3. Trauma from brushing teeth too vigorously
4. Lip Biting
5. Stress
6. Trauma from eating hard, rough foods (potato chips, pretzels)
7. Deficiencies in Vitamin B12, iron and folic acid
Current theories on the causes of canker sores have also focused on the immune system.
This research suggests that canker sores may be caused by the body's own immune
system attacking the cells that line the inside of the mouth.
The first appearance of canker sores usually occurs between the ages of 10 and 20.
During adult life, episodes usually, but not always, become less frequent and
less severe. Interestingly, women often report increased susceptibility to
canker sore formation during certain times of their menstrual cycle.
Some women report total relief from canker sores during pregnancy.
As well, canker sores affect people with varying degrees of severity.
Some people may get an occasional outbreak of canker sores once or twice a year,
while others may suffer near continuous, overlapping episodes.
Preventing Canker Sores
The most important advice we can give you is avoid toothpaste that
contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). Check the list of ingredients.
Trauma to the inside of the mouth can trigger the production of canker sores.
Try to avoid overzealous tooth brushing. Unfortunately, most people just can't stop
doing so because hard tooth brushing is an ingrained habit developed during childhood.
Consequently, we encourage our patients to use our SuperSoft Nylon Toothbrush,
made exclusively for TheraBreath by expert toothbrush manufacturers in England.
Its soft, yet strong bristles make it virtually impossible to cause any damage
to the inside of the mouth.
Cut down on hard or sharp foods, such as potato chips, pretzels, nachos,
cut apples and hard candies which might nick, abrade or otherwise traumatize
the oral tissue and scrape the inside of your mouth.
Many people bite the insides of their cheeks or their tongues while
sleeping or in a state of nervousness and stress. We suggest that you
wear a mouth guard while sleeping because this device can be very
effective at preventing further oral trauma. Contact your dentist for
more information.
Reactions to certain food products can also be responsible
for some cases of canker sores. Nuts, peanut butter, sea food, wheat products,
chocolate and milk can sometimes cause these sores to appear.
Treatment of Canker Sores
Usually canker sores clear up within 7 to 14 days without treatment.
During this time, the sores can be very painful especially when eating
or drinking. Treatment can help to ease the pain as well as possibly reduce
the time required for the sores to heal and go away.
Other Viable Treatments
1. Anti-Microbial Mouthwashes
Surprisingly, anti-microbial mouthwashes have
provided many people with effective relief. Because canker sores are not
caused by bacteria or a virus, the mechanisms by which these anti-microbial
mouthwashes work remain unclear. Commonly used anti-microbial oxygenating
mouthwashes include TheraBreath's Oral Rinse and PerioTherapy Oral Rinse.
2. Analgesic (Pain Relieving) and Protective Ointments and Gels
Local drug
stores carry some pain relieving medications, including Zilactin and Oragel.
After application, they create a protective cover over the sensitive areas.
3. Corticosteroid Rinses and Gels
These prescription medications must be
authorized by your dentist or physician and should only be used for severe
or very painful cases. The application of these types of rinses and gels
may be painful at first. The most common topical steroid gel is Lidex applied
very gently to the canker sore 2 to 4 times per day.
Systemic Conditions Associated with Canker Sores
In a very small number of cases, canker sores can be indicative of a bodily
(systemic) disorder, such as Behcet's disease characterized by canker sores, genital lesions,
eye lesions and dermal afflictions.
Those infected with HIV can also develop stomach/internal/topical/ ulcers that resemble
cancer sores.
Crohn's disease, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis and gluten hypersensitivity
(wheat allergy) are some digestive conditions that display canker
sores as part of their disorder.
Consult your doctor if any of these conditions are associated with your canker sore problem.
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