Mouth sores – What can you do yourself?

To keep from irritating inflamed parts of your mouth more, and to prevent them from getting worse or new sores from forming, it’s better to avoid the following foods and drinks until the wounds have healed:

• Alcoholic drinks
• Hot foods and drinks
• Spicy foods
• Acidic foods and beverages such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, or lemonade
• Hard and sharp-edged foods, as well as very dry and crumbly foods such as rolls, raw vegetables, or potato chips

When you chew, the mucous membranes lining your mouth move. This stretches the sore areas, which can hurt. Eating soups or soft food can help to prevent this pain.

During cancer treatment, people may have inflammations in their mouth as well as nausea, loss of appetite or loss of taste. As a result, they may eat less and lose too much weight. Adding things like butter or cream to soups and puréed food may help. This keeps the meals easy to eat and ensures that you have more calories even when you eat smaller portions. The higher fat content also enhances the taste of the food, making it easier to avoid using a lot of spices.

It is also important to let cooked food cool down enough before you eat – or to simply eat cold meals. These include mild quark and yogurt dishes, shakes, smoothies, and cold soups – such as soups made with buttermilk, cucumber, or tomatoes.

Thorough oral and dental hygiene is important – not only to prevent inflammations in the mouth, but also when mouth sores have already developed. It includes the following:

• Brushing your teeth after every meal and before bedtime, if possible
• Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and mild fluoride toothpaste
• Rinsing your toothbrush carefully after brushing, letting it dry and replacing it regularly (every month)
• Cleaning between your teeth regularly, for example, with special interdental brushes. But if you don't usually do this, you shouldn't start while you have an acute inflammation.
• Rinsing your mouth several times a day, for example with water or a saline solution. Avoid eating or drinking for the next half hour. Chamomile tea is not recommended as a mouthwash because it can dry out your mouth. Any ready-made mouthwashes shouldn't contain sugar, alcohol or acid.

It is possible to increase saliva production, for example, by chewing sugar-free gum. It is also be a good idea to wear dentures less often until the inflammation goes away, and it's important to clean them carefully.

It is also important to drink enough fluids, not smoke and regularly check the lining of your mouth in the mirror. If the pain gets worse, or if the mucous membranes swell, change color or bleed heavily, it's a good idea to see a doctor or dentist.