Pain or ulcers in the mouth can make eating and drinking difficult. So it is important to inform your doctor to see if your medication needs to be adjusted. Try home remedies to reduce oral pain and speed healing.
These practices can relieve pain
- Drinking more water with the help of a straw can reduce pain.
- Suck on crushed ice or eat something cold, such as a popsicle, ice cream, or frozen yogurt.
- Drink something hot, such as tea or soup.
- Eat soft, easy-to-swallow foods, such as ice cream, cake, applesauce, cottage cheese, pasta, loose eggs, yogurt, or creamy soups.
- Cut foods into small pieces, or grind, mash, blend, or puree them.
- You can mix water and baking soda to make a thin paste, or you can dip a cotton swab into an antacid and apply it to the ulcer.
- For pain relief, you can use over-the-counter medications such as butyroban cream, oral anesthetic gel, intraoral anti-inflammatory cream, or mouth ulcer gel.
- If it interferes with normal eating, you can seek medical help.
These practices tend to worsen pain:
- Eating spicy and salty foods; coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits, and tomatoes can worsen pain.
- Foods such as nuts, seeds, chips or crackers can scratch your mouth.
- Soda, alcoholic beverages, and all tobacco products can have an impact on oral health.
- Any sweet, too cold, or too hot food can damage the mouth.
These practices should be adhered to:
- Rinse your mouth more often each day. You can start by gargling with 1 cup of warm water with 1/4 teaspoon (1 teaspoon has about 5 ml) of baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then gargle with water.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a mildly formulated toothpaste. You may want to soften your toothbrush with hot water first. If you feel that the toothbrush still triggers pain, try a foam soft brush. Don’t use whitening toothpaste, which can irritate your mouth.
- You can gently floss your teeth in conjunction with an alcohol-free mouthwash.
- If your mouth feels dry, try sugar-free gum or candy, or ask your doctor if you can use artificial saliva to keep your mouth moist.
Co-reviewed by Dr. Dong Song, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute Dr. Zeng Fanjun
Xie Liang (Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital)