Orabase
Orabase, a 20% benzocaine paste from Colgate, is my go-to pain
reliever. It doesn’t sting at all when you apply it and the paste helps
it stick to the surface of the mouth for up to hours at a time,
depending on where the ulcer is. It doesn’t have a taste or affect your
taste, so it’s a good, quick application if you need to eat something.
It works best on areas around the gumline or on your cheeks as there is
less movement and it can stay in one place for longer. Painless,
effective, and without a nasty taste, I carry Orabase in my pocket at
all times when I have a breakout.
Anbesol
Mostly known as a pain reliever for toothaches, Anbesol works wonders
on ulcers as well. Anbesol is also 20% benzocaine, but in an oily
liquid form. It kills the pain immediately on contact with a little bit
of stinging, but with nothing to adhere it to the skin like the paste
in Orabase, it doesn’t last for very long. The good thing about Anbesol
is that it’s invisible, so if you get the unfortunate crack in your lip
or the even more unfortunate ulcer on or just inside your lip, Anbesol
is a great choice. It kills the pain without pasting up your lips like
Orabase and other products would. A little discretion is a good thing.
Zilactin-B
You could say that Zilactin is somewhere between Anbesol and
Orabase. It’s a clear liquid that adheres to the skin by forming a film
over the ulcer, which protects it from further damage. It does,
however, feel like someone’s piercing your skin with an ice pick made
from barbed wire when you apply it. And with 10% Benzocaine, you’re not
going to see quite as much residual pain decrease. But the film over
the ulcer is especially useful on the tongue, where Orabase and Anbesol
wear off very easily. Zilactin will hold tight, so it’s good to apply
to the tongue before you eat.
Kanka
Okay, everything I just said about Zilactin can also be said about
Kanka, with a couple of differences. Kanka is another 20% benzocaine
solution, so it’s going to offer more pain relief than Zilactin, though
it will sting quite a bit at first. I’d have to research it further but
my guess is these two sting more because of ingredients in the solution
that cause it to form the film and grip the skin around the ulcer.
Kanka does protect well though and is good for your tongue, but it also
has a nice little applicator – a plastic stick that extends from the cap
into the bottle to make it easy to apply. For once you don’t have to
nasty up your finger and stick it in your mouth. This is a very good
thing. Be aware, though, both Zilactin and Kanka turn white when they
dry, so especially if it’s on your tongue, know that it’s shining out
from the inside of your mouth like a beacon. Also, I’ve had the cap
leak before and stain the pants I was wearing. Just so you know.
Ibuprofen
Sometimes, you’ve just gotta chuck some pills. When you have an
especially bad outbreak of ulcers, all the spot treatment in the world
isn’t going to get you all the way to not-wanting-to-die. Take 400mg of
an ibuprofen pill (Advil, Motrin, Aleve) every four hours. Not only
will the pain go down to halfway tolerable levels, the ibuprofen will
help reduce inflammation, which is everything when it comes to canker
sores. Lower inflammation equals lower pain and if you can keep the
inflammation low, the sore will go away quicker. So while you’re
dabbing medication in your mouth, don’t forget the pill option as well.Do you suffer from canker sores? 10-20% of the population gets them, too. Find some answers at www.cankerboy.com
