Your ToothPaste May Cause Canker Sores

Hello, folks. I'm back after a few months of being away from this blog. First, there was the preparation for my marriage in beautiful Guadalajara, Mexico, then the marriage itself, and an extended honeymoon in Mexico, including several days at the Pacific resort of Puerto Vallarta. (As an aside, Puerto Vallarta was where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton filmed "The Night of the Iguana" in the 60s. It's also nearby the jungle where Arnold S., the California governor, filmed "Predator"). And, of course, after being gone for a month, I was way behind in lots of things when I returned home, so this blog went on an extended hiatus.

Now back to reality.

I'm certain that you are well aware of this, so it won't come as a big surprise when I announce that brushing your teeth is essential to oral hygiene and one of several things you can do to control bad breath. But be careful! The toothpaste you use to scrub away odor-causing bacteria and food debris may cause canker sores. Canker sores are those annoying, sometimes painful, blister-like irritations we sometimes get in our mouth.

If you use a toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), you should switch to one that doesn't. SLS is a detergent found not only in toothpaste, but also in soap, shampoo, shaving cream, bubble bath and car wash soaps. Some studies have suggested that SLS might contribute to canker sores, while others showed no effect.

According to the Swedish Dental Journal, January-March 2003, however, there appears to be strong evidence that SLS can wear down tooth surfaces and irritate the inner lining of the mouth. This isn't surprising, folks, because SLS is a detergent, as I mentioned, and so it can be abrasive and irritating to any part of our body -- our teeth, our skin, or our hair.

There are also lots of anecdotal reports of people claiming to have a lot less or no more canker sores after switching to a toothpaste that doesn't contain SLS.

If any of you get canker sores, let me know whether or not they stop when you switch to a non-SLS toothpaste.

Until next time, friends...