Dr. Akshay Bhushan

It often happens that one or more tender areas inside your mouth make eating, drinking or talking painful. They might deprive you of a spicy meal or of the pleasure of drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Little sores (know more about the mouth sores) that come in the way of your otherwise content life are mouth ulcers. Mouth ulcers are white or yellow open sores with an itchy red ring around them. They can appear on your lips, at the base of gums, on the soft palate, at the sides of your tongue and in the hollows of your cheeks.

They are formed on non keratinized mouth tissues and can create a constant burning sensation. Ayurveda focuses to improve a person's health through a diet regime, the use of herbal compounds and through the implementation of health practices which are mostly unheard of. This traditional branch of medicine can prove to be very effective if tried out under the supervision of a reliable practitioner. It is because of its usefulness, governments of several countries across the world endorse researches in the field of Ayurvedic medicine.

Take care of mouth ulcers in the following ways:

1. Use a decoction of leaves: It is good to gargle with the liquor of a few kinds of leaves; certain leaves can relieve you of the burning sensation. Leaves of the guava tree or mehendi and aamla leaves can be boiled in combination with alum to extract a thick decoction. Washing your mouth repeatedly with this decoction will help you to treat ulcers.
2. Remedy constipation: Constipation (know more, how to get relief from constipation) has been steadily associated with mouth ulcers. To remedy this problem one can take Triphala Choorna.
3. Avoid anything piquant: Compromise on taste and turn away from hot and spicy food. Not having anything hot and peppery results in immediate relief. Tea, coffee, curd, pickles and even tobacco or alcohol should not be consumed during this period.
4. Try Licorice: Chewing a piece of licorice can help you in getting rid of oral ulcers. Licorice is known to counter any kind of mouth decay. It also benefits the health of your teeth. When this is boiled in water, you can sip on to the resultant sweet drink and almost forget pain.
5. Try Chebulic myrobalan: Chebulic myrobalan needs to be consumed in its powdered form. You can add honey to soften the powder. Use of this compound will surprise you with is effects.
6. You may apply Irimedadi taila: Direct application of this oil on the ulcers can be of great use.

Dental problems can be very painful and take the smile off your face completely. Those who have experienced sensitivity would vouch for it. It just will not allow you to enjoy the hot coffee or a favourite sweet or a cold smoothie.  The pain that shoots down the tooth after any of these would leave the person shuddering.

The tooth has 3 layers, from the outside in these are the enamel, the dentin and the pulp.  The outermost enamel is mineralized and the hardest structure in the body. The next layer, dentin, has fine tubules and when the enamel is worn off exposing the dentin, sensitivity sets in. The enamel is thinner in some portions of the tooth like the neck and the roots, therefore sensitivity onset is quicker in these areas.

Some of the common reasons for sensitivity are listed below:

1. Tooth decay:  As caries progresses from enamel to dentin, sensitivity sets in, especially to hot and cold foods.
2. Wear and tear:  Excessive brushing of teeth can lead to wearing of teeth, especially near the neck areas, leading to loss of enamel and resulting in sensitivity.
3. Dental damage:  Chipped or broken tooth can lead to sensitivity.
4. Gingival disease: This leads to loss of gum cover over the tooth, leading to exposure of dentin and therefore sensitivity.
5. Bruxism: Clenching of teeth, common in people with high levels of stress, can lead to enamel wearing and subsequent sensitivity.
6. Dental treatment: Some dental procedures like scaling, crowns, root planing, and some fillings can cause transient sensitivity.
7. Highly acidic food items: Citrus fruits, tomatoes, tea, etc. can lead to tooth sensitivity.
8. Bleaching agents:  Most tooth whitening agents result in sensitive teeth.
9. Excessive use of mouthwash: The mouth rinses contain high amount of alcohol which can also lead to tooth sensitivity.

Management: As with all health conditions, the first step in management is to identify the problem.  Whether it is dental decay or recent dental treatment, food habits or tooth whitening agents, the cause needs to be identified and then treatment begun accordingly.

1. For lost enamel, be it decay or damage, the tooth again needs to be restored to its original form to cover the dentinal tubules and reduce sensitivity.
2. For habits, be it food related or bruxism, in addition to treating the tooth, the habit per se needs to be addressed to prevent recurrence.
3. For associated dental products like whitening agents or mouth rinses, talk to a dentist to switch to a less harmful product.
4. De-sensitizing pastes are also available that can be used on a regular basis to reduce the problem.

Tooth sensitivity is annoying but there are ways to manage it effectively.