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Comment by e40

9 years ago

but some toothpaste additive

About 9 months ago I stopped using toothpaste (my Dentist said it was fine) because I read the canker sores I had been getting for years and years were caused by an additive in tooth paste: Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Sure enough, I have not had a single canker sore since I stopped using tooth paste!

Don't leave us hanging... what was your substitute?

Whenever I have canker sores I stop using toothpaste and dip my toothbrush in a cup of mouthwash and that helps the sores heal much faster.

So, what is the alternative you are using? Water and brushing? Or some organic toothpaste alternative?

In my (limited) experience, canker sores are an allergic reaction. Raw pineapples make the inside of my mouth tingly, and then voila: canker sores. I stopped eating raw pineapple, and I've not had a canker sore since.

I used to have to use lotion on my hands constantly until I switched to castille soap instead of SLS-based detergents.

I use Sensodyne for the same reason — it's a widely available toothpaste that doesn't have SLS.

  • Actually, most types of Sensodyne have SLS in them too. The "Extra Whitening" type doesn't, so I use that.

    Once I switched to that, I stopped getting so many canker sores almost immediately.