Aphthous ulcers (also known as Canker sores) are small lesions that develop on the soft tissues in your mouth including the tongue, gingiva, roof of the mouth, or inside of the lip.  They can appear as a white or yellowish mouth sore with a red border and can be painful especially when eating and speaking.

Factors that seem to trigger outbreaks of ulcers include:
-Stress and/ or lack of sleep
-Injury or trauma to the inside of the mouth
-Nutritional deficiency (specifically of vitamin B, iron, and folic acid)
-Certain foods (including salty, acidic, or spicy foods)
-Toothpastes containing sodium lauryl sulphate (the foaming agent of toothpaste) 
-Menstruation
-Medications
-Viral infections

How do you treat an aphthous ulcer?
There is no cure for an aphthous ulcer and the main goal is to decrease symptoms of discomfort.  Foods and beverages that are salty or acidic can further irritate an ulcer and should be avoided while the area is healing (ie: french fries, ketchup, pizza sauce, orange juice).  The healing process can take between 7 to 14 days, but symptoms can subside and improve after a few days.
Treatment for ulcers can also include over the counter or prescription products to ease the symptoms. Equal parts of liquid Benadryl and Maalox can be mixed and placed on a cotton swab 10 minutes before eating and sleeping.  Milk of Magnesia should always be used and never Kaopectate or Pepto Bismol since it includes Aspirin which will further burn the ulcer.  

If an aphthous ulcer takes longer than two weeks to heal, you should contact your healthcare specialist.