How to prevent thrush is actually not difficult, but must be done regularly. This method can prevent you from canker sores that often recur and cause pain.
For some people, thrush is a problem that often comes and is hard to go away. In addition, the stinging caused by canker sores can interfere with daily activities. Eating, talking, even sleeping can be uncomfortable because of thrush.
Know Various Ways to Prevent Thrush
Canker sores generally begin with small sores on the walls of the mouth, dry mouth, unclean mouth, or lack of certain nutrients. Although it can't really be avoided forever, there are several ways to prevent thrush that you can do to reduce its occurrence, namely:
Caring for and maintaining oral hygiene
Ways to maintain oral hygiene that can be done to prevent canker sores from reappearing include:
- Brush your teeth 2 times a day. Make sure the toothbrush you use is soft, of good quality, and fits the shape of your mouth.
- Use dental floss (dental floss) to clean the remaining food between the teeth.
- Avoid using toothpaste and mouthwash containing sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).
- Don't forget to regularly check your teeth to the dentist every 6 months
Applying a healthy diet
The next way to prevent thrush is to apply a healthy diet, including:
- Meet the needs of your B vitamins, especially vitamins B6, B9, and B12, by eating foods such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, beets, and beef liver.
- Limit consumption of foods that irritate the mouth, including acidic and spicy foods.
- Avoid eating in a hurry, especially while talking, so that the lips or tongue are not bitten and triggers canker sores.
Prevent dry mouth
Dry mouth can also cause canker sores. To avoid this, some steps that can be taken are:
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (2 liters).
- Chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production.
- Limit caffeine intake and stop smoking.
- Use a special mouthwash for dry mouth.
- Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.
- Avoid foods and drinks that are too sweet or sour.
In addition to doing the various ways above, you are also recommended to manage stress well, because stress can be a trigger for canker sores. As much as possible, routinely do activities that can relieve stress, ranging from exercise, relaxation, to meditation.
Treating Canker sores that recur
If canker sores recur, you can treat canker sores in a few simple ways at home, such as gargling with salt water. However, if the pain caused by canker sores is very bothersome, you may need medication from your doctor.
Some of the drugs that doctors often give to treat canker sores that often recur are:
Ointment
Topical medicine for canker sores can be in the form of ointments, creams or ointments gel. This drug is usually used to limit the inflammation of canker sores. Some topical medications that are often prescribed by doctors to treat canker sores are: triamcinolone and benzocaine.
Mouthwash
Mouthwash given by a doctor to treat canker sores usually contains antibiotics or steroids. This content is important to overcome inflammation and factors that trigger canker sores.
Before you use medicine for thrush, remember to always read and follow the correct way of taking medicine according to the instructions for use. It is also important to avoid products that contain polycresulen.
By maintaining healthy teeth and mouth and meeting nutritional needs every day, the risk of canker sores recurs will decrease. However, to get maximum results, how to prevent canker sores cannot be done once in a while, but must be made into a daily lifestyle.
Ordinary canker sores are generally harmless and can heal within 4–14 days. However, some serious diseases that must be treated by a doctor, such as lupus or HIV/AIDS, can indeed cause canker sores to recur frequently and be difficult to heal.
If the above steps to prevent thrush have been carried out, but canker sores still appear frequently, it's a good idea to see a doctor, especially if the canker sores are so numerous that it makes it difficult for you to eat and ultimately interferes with your nutritional intake.