Canker Sores & Toothpaste: The Painful Truth

Ouch!  Have you got another canker sore?  They’re awful, aren’t they…they just making eating so miserable.  Unfortunately, something you do every day may be the source of your troubles—brushing your teeth.  That’s right…that ritual you do three times a day is likely to be aggravating or even causing those painful places on your mouth.  So why would something like toothpaste cause canker sores?  Is there anything I can do to stop the problem and alleviate the pain?  Thankfully, there are ways to address this problem and toothpastes which don’t make the situation worse.

First off, will begin by exploring the causes of canker sores.  Some of commonly known causes are brushing too hard and damaging the lining of the mouth with sharp items.  For example, if you eat potato chips which cause small abrasions on the inside of the mouth, this could lead to a canker sore.  But what’s the deal with toothpaste?  You’d think that since it’s a product that promotes good oral hygiene that it would be safe.  Unfortunately, the fact is that toothpaste contains an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).  SLS is a compound which can harm the lining of your mouth and cause canker sores.

So why is this chemical used in toothpaste?  It’s an optical illusion—a gimmick if you will.  The chemical causes the paste to foam in your mouth.  Subconsciously, the mind sees the foam and assumes that the presence of  as the cleansing process (much the way that soap foams up).  However, the foaming action does nothing in actually cleaning plaque or killing germs.  Toothpaste would work just as effectively if there was no foaminess at all.

So now that you know the problem, how do you fix it?  You can either brush your teeth with something other than toothpaste or use a non-SLS brand.  Biotene offers just such a product with its dry mouth toothpaste.  It diminishes oral pain such as gum soreness and canker sores.  It comes in a variety of flavors and doesn’t cost a whole lot (under $10).  If you decide Biotene isn’t for you, there are also a few other manufacturers of canker sore toothpaste such as Squigle and Rembrandt.