My child has a canker sore, how can it be relieved?

Does your toddler make faces at mealtimes and complain of pain when swallowing? He probably has one or more canker sores that bother him. Canker sores are common in children and tend to decrease with age. There may be only one or more, we then speak of an outbreak (up to 6 canker sores). Rest assured, they are not contagious.

How do I know if my child has a canker sore?

Canker sores are easy to spot in your child’s mouth. It is a small ulceration that is yellow or greyish in color, measuring between 2 and 10 mm and oval or rounded in shape. The edges of the canker sore are red but there is no bleeding. The areas usually affected by canker sores are the inside of the cheeks and lips, the tip and underside of the tongue and more rarely the top of the gums. It is therefore sufficient to inspect the inside of the child’s mouth to easily identify them.
The child may also complain of pain when eating or swallowing, especially when eating acidic, spicy or very hot foods.

How to treat canker sores in children?

A canker sore heals spontaneously in 10 to 15 days without a scar. Treatment is based on relieving symptoms including pain.
To alleviate the discomfort and not revive the pain, the child should:

• avoid foods known to promote the appearance of canker sores such as Swiss cheese, nuts, citrus fruits, spices, dressings …
• eat cold, sweet foods like ice cream or fresh dairy products. Cold is a natural anesthetic.
• avoid hot and hard foods.
• brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste that does not contain strong substances such as lauryl sulfate (irritant to the mucous membranes).

To prevent the onset of canker sores, take care of your child’s good oral health. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day is recommended as well as an annual check-up to the dentist. A decayed tooth, badly adjusted dental appliances or a fractured tooth are all risk factors for canker sores.
If the hygiene measures are not sufficient to relieve the pain while waiting for the complete healing of the canker sore, the child can take a local analgesic in gel or spray. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.
There are also local anesthetics, but they should never be used in children because they promote discomfort when swallowing, false routes (passage of food through the respiratory tract) and severe bites of the tongue and cheeks.

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When should you consult?

See a doctor if:

• the pain is such that your child cannot take it or has difficulty eating.
• the pain does not decrease after a few days.
• if the canker sore persists for more than two weeks.
• if the canker sore is more than a centimeter in diameter.
• if your child is prone to canker sores (more than 4 outbreaks per year).
• if your child has other symptoms: fever, fatigue, diarrhea, joint pain, headache, etc.

Be careful, ulcerative lesions in the mouth are not always canker sores

Besides canker sores, other ulcers can appear in the child’s mouth. Contagious ulcerative lesions must be distinguished from ulcerative lesions linked to an injury to the mucous membranes of the mouth.
Contagious ulcerative lesions of the mouth include:

• a primary herpes virus infection.
• chickenpox.
• hand-foot-mouth syndrome.

Finally, ulcerations of the oral mucosa can be caused by teeth or sharp dental materials, trauma related to wearing a dental appliance or a dental prosthesis or even a fractured tooth.
If in doubt, seek medical advice.