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The quickest way to treat mouth ulcer in Japan.

By on March 16, 2021

Last week, my 8-year old got her first mouth ulcer from snacking on a bag of chips. An ulcer spot popped up on her lower gums that became a very uncomfortable experience.

Mouth ulcers also known as canker sores or “Konaien” (inflammation inside the mouth in Japanese), happen to both adults and children. Canker sores generally go away on their own but anyone who has experienced it know what you do and don’t do can prolong the pain. Knowing how to treat it fast will save you a trip to a dentist. Here’s what worked for us.

  •  WHICH MOUTHWASH FORMULA TO USE

From Day 1 to 3, my daughter had been swirling and swishing the sore with Listerine diluted in water after brushing her teeth. For 2 days in a row, all she ate were easy-to-chew meals such as soft boiled eggs, cream soup and nothing abrasive. But on Day 3, the problem got worse. She complained that the pain was preventing her from eating food. The tiny spot grew even bigger, redder and the pain continued.

That’s when I headed off to a nearby drugstore to ask the pharmacist for help. There must be something I was doing wrong.  I asked him how best to make the sore go away quickly.

The pharmacist asks, “Mouthwash comes in alcohol and alcohol-free formulas. Which one do you use?,” she asks.  I replied, “We use only Listerine gold at home.”  She explains, “Listerine gold has concentrations of alcohol which could be stripping your child’s mouth of both good and bad bacteria leaving the mouth dry.”

“Dry mouth irritates the mucosal membrane inside the mouth,” she adds.

True enough, after gargling with GUM alcohol-free mouthwash brand recommended by the pharmacist, things got better for my daughter.  Non-alcohol mouthwash apparently works well in eliminating only the bad bacteria from the mouth keeping the mouth moist.

  • OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICINE FOR INFLAMMATION

Mouth ulcers generally clear up in a week or two and need no medication. But children have less tolerance for pain than adults. If you want to keep your children eating healthy, you need to let that canker sore go away as fast as you can with help from this superb medicine recommended by a Japanese pharmacist. Although this is available in ointment type too,  the pharmacist suggested to tackle the issue from inside out, for fast recovery. The formula contains tranexamic acid and dried licorice extract to suppress inflammation including essential Vitamins B2, B6, and C to strengthen the defense of skin and mucous membranes.

True enough, after popping 3 pills in 5-hour intervals, it worked. In no time, my daughter was back to enjoying her favorite regular meals.

  •  WHAT TO AVOID

Steer clear of foods such as chips and crackers, spicy foods, or acidic fruits as all these can irritate the thin mucosal membrane of the mouth and prolong the infection you were trying to treat. Also avoid brushing the teeth with a whitening agent as this contains sodium lauryl sulfate which is an abrasive foaming agent for people with canker sores. Some Japanese toothpaste made from natural herbs wood be a good option.

 

About Tracy Nakayama