Using Lasers to Treat Mouth Sores
Laser treatment courtesy of Colgate
The good news about lasers.
There is much good news about lasers for the treatment of mouth sores, especially the most common sore in young adults, which is the aphthous ulcer, also known as the canker sore. These painful, red, marks in the skin of the mouth occur most frequently in children and in teenagers. Thankfully, many of the treatments, including lasers, that are now available to treat canker sores, are safe to use in teens.
What is a laser?
Perhaps the word laser is a little scary. Science fiction? Strange machines zapping your mouth? No. It’s none of that. Lasers used in dentistry are simply thin tubes and look a little like a pen used to write a note on paper. Other types of dental lasers look like small flashlights (see image from Colgate). A laser gives off a bright light that is usually blue. Laser light is not an x-ray and does not have the risks of an x-ray. A laser will cause little to no pain, and is used by dentists for small fillings, minor gum treatments, and to heal canker sores.
How do laser treatments compare to standard canker sore treatments?
In the treatment of mouth sores, lasers have been found to reduce pain and hasten healing. Not only is mouth healing quicker, but it is also a complete healing. No matter where the sore is located inside the mouth, there will be healthy healing of normal gums (or palate) in place of the once inflamed and painful area. Lasers are also being shown to help patients feel better, faster, than standard treatments. The results of the laser show quickly, with steady reduction in the size of the canker sore.
Some of the other medications available for treatment of canker sores include the anti-inflammatory triamcinolone. This is a steroid in the form of a paste, and it is most frequently used for skin diseases. Also used is granofurin, sometimes applied as a spray to treat inflammation. Researchers are learning from clinical investigations that laser therapy is more effective than anti-inflammatories.
Antibiotics are another treatment that are sometimes prescribed by the dentist. The antibiotics tetracycline and minocycline are both used for canker sore therapy. Antibiotics given in in the form of a mouth rinse have been shown in studies to be effective.
So how reliable are the various types of lasers now in use by dentists? Recent studies have found that any one of the sev types of lasers available to dentists all provide healing and pain relief. In fact, results from studies have been very encouraging. In a published review of seven studies, it was shown that 100 percent of the time, pain relief was provided. (This from the journal: Laser in Medical Science 2017).
Practically, what can you expect when receiving a laser treatment?
Note that the positive properties of lasers shown below apply to laser use for healing canker sores, for laser applications in gum treatments and for doing small fillings.
When receiving a laser therapy…
You can expect relatively little pain and often can receive treatment without needing a shot.
There will be minimal to no bleeding.
There will be little to no swelling after the treatment is completed.
Healing will be quicker than with conventional treatments.
The canker sore is the most common type of sore that appears in a teenager’s mouth, however, when a sore appears, it must be confidently diagnosed by the dentist as a canker sore before a laser treatment is applied.
Here are some of the give-a-ways that suggest a mouth sore is a ‘canker sore’
There is often a day or two of tingling before the sore appears.
A canker sore is usually found inside the lips or inside the mouth, including on the side of the mouth and around the tongue. A sore on the lip may be a herpes sore.
The canker sore is a red, inflamed, crater-like sore with a white or yellow center.
The sore will heal on its own in about two weeks.
When there are multiple or large sores or very painful sores that interfere with normal eating and daily living, then it is time to consider treatment, and a discussion with your dentist about possible laser therapy.