Mouth sores

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Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Mouth sores

You can reduce your chance of getting common mouth sores by:

• Reducing stress. Practice relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation.
• Avoiding very hot foods or beverages.

To avoid mechanical irritation, also:

• See your dentist promptly for a sharp or broken tooth or misfitting dentures.
• Chew slowly.
• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush.

If you seem to get canker sores often, talk to your doctor about taking folate and vitamin B12 to prevent outbreaks.

If you get cold sores often, taking L-lysine tablets or increasing lysine in your diet (found in fish, chicken, eggs, and potatoes) may reduce outbreaks. However, if you have high cholesterol, heart disease, or high triglycerides, DO NOT use L-lysine.

To prevent the spread of herpes sores, do not kiss or have oral sex with someone with a cold sore or fever blister. Do not participate in these activities when you have an active cold sore. Do not share razors, lip balm, toothbrushes, or lipsticks.

To prevent cancerous mouth lesions:

• Do not smoke or use tobacco.
• Limit alcohol to 2 drinks per day.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade your lips. Wear a lip balm with SPF 15 at all times.

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 5^th ed. London, UK: Churchill Livingstone, Inc.; 2000.

Yeung-Yue KA. Herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2. Dermatol Clin. 2002; 20(2): 249-266. 

MacDonald J. Canker sore remedies: baking soda. CMAJ. 2002; 166(7): 884.

Review Date: 07/29/2005
Reviewed By: Paul B. Tabereaux, M.D., Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.