Gentle ways to clean around the sore and keep up your routine
When a mouth sore makes brushing hurt, it is easy to skip the tender area. A few changes to your brush and technique can help you clean the nearby teeth without scraping the sore.
How to brush when your mouth hurts
Start with the teeth you can reach comfortably. Work around the mouth with light pressure and short strokes. When you get to the sore, change the angle of the brush so the bristles clean the tooth and gumline without scraping the ulcer. If a large brush head keeps bumping the spot, try a smaller one.
Aim to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. If your usual paste stings, try a milder flavour or a fluoride toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulphate, often listed as SLS. If you still cannot clean the same area comfortably, tell your dentist where it hurts and what you have tried.
Should you cover the sore while brushing?
Skip a loose cotton pad or piece of gauze while brushing. It can shift or get caught in the bristles. If friction remains a problem, ask a pharmacist or dentist about a protective oral paste designed for mouth ulcers. If a brace is rubbing, place orthodontic wax on the bracket or wire as your orthodontist directs.
An option for mouth ulcer pain
OralMedic is one option for mouth ulcer pain. It forms a protective barrier over the ulcer. Read the Canadian package insert and directions and warnings before use.
What to bring to your appointment
A mouth sore may heal before you can be seen. Keep one short note per episode. Write down when the sore started, where it was, when it fully healed and whether there was a gap before the next one. Take a dated photo if you can. Add any fever or recent medicine changes, which parts of brushing were difficult, and what helped.
Copy this into your phone
- Date the sore started
- Date it fully healed
- Where it was in your mouth
- Date of your photo
- Where brushing hurt
- What helped
- Other symptoms or medicine changes
At the visit, ask for a plan you can follow at home. Which areas should you focus on when brushing hurts? What should you do if the sore comes back? Who should you call if it gets worse before your next appointment? If the sore is hard to see, show your dentist the photo and point to the spot.
A dentist or doctor can check for an infection, irritation from a sharp tooth or an appliance, a medicine side effect, or another cause. Tell your dentist if you take medication that affects your immune system, or if the sores keep coming back or occur with other symptoms.
When to call sooner
If a sore has not healed after two weeks, book an appointment with a dentist or doctor. Call sooner if it is unusually large or painful, keeps recurring, or makes it hard to eat or drink. Seek prompt medical advice if you have a high fever with a mouth sore. If you take medicine that suppresses your immune system and develop a new or worsening sore, contact your care team for advice.
You can start with a simple request. “These sores make it hard for me to brush. Can we check what is causing them and make a plan for caring for my teeth while my mouth heals?”
Disclosure
Dr. Amrit Bhogal is the founder of OralMedic Canada.