How Bamboo Salt Toothpaste Can Resolve These Hidden Causes of Mouth Sores
Your mouth is a window into the rest of your body. It is home to hundreds of billions of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and viruses that make up the delicate oral microbiome.
Mouth sores, like other oral issues, are reflections of the general state of your health. They can be a sign of a temporary rise in your stress level or indicators of hormonal changes. More specifically, mouth sores are symptoms of an oral microbiome imbalance, known as dysbiosis, which can have downstream impacts on overall health.
Mineral rich and pH-balancing bamboo salt toothpaste can assist in treating the problem at its root. Developed 1,000 years ago by Korean doctors and monks, Korean bamboo salt (also known as Jukyeom) is one of the most well-known traditional medicinal ingredients.
Since inflammation, the body’s protective response to harmful stimuli, is at the root of many chronic conditions, the anti-inflammatory properties of bamboo salt toothpaste may prevent or mitigate mouth sores.
Below, we will explore the symptoms and causes of common mouth sores, then look at how the unique properties of bamboo salt can help you resolve underlying imbalances at their root.
Canker sore causes and symptoms
Canker sores are non-contagious, usually small oval lesions with clear outer rings. They often appear yellow, white, or red in the center. Canker sores can develop under the tongue, inside the cheeks or lips, the soft palate, or at the base of the gums. Most canker sores heal in about one to two weeks, but major canker sores, which tend to be larger and deeper than minor canker sores, can take up to six weeks to heal.
Although there is no known universal cause of canker sores, they are often signs of allergic reactions or nutritional deficiencies. Allergic reactions to acidic foods like coffee, chocolate, or citrus fruits are common canker sore causes.
Canker sores can also signal adverse reactions to antibiotics or medications such as decongestants, anti-histamines, pain killers, diuretics, and antidepressants, which can reduce healthy saliva flow. Saliva neutralizes the acids produced by mouth bacteria, protecting you from microbes that multiply and lead to disease. Without healthy saliva flow, you lose some of these protective effects.
Vitamin, mineral and nutritional deficits can also compromise your immune system, leading to canker sores and other conditions.
Cold sore causes and symptoms
Cold sores are red, fluid-filled blisters that form on the mouth, lips, or on other areas of the face. Cold sores in the mouth and on the nose or fingers occur as well but more rarely. Cold sores begin as hard and painful spots before they turn into blisters that burst and become shallow, open sores that crust over. You might feel burning or tingling sensations 24-48 hours before a cold sore appears.
The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) are the central causes of cold sores. Either type can spread through close contact, while sharing utensils, or towels is a common way of spreading these viruses. Both can be contagious even without visible blisters.
While about 50 to 80% of adults have the virus that causes herpes, it often remains inactive and never leads to a visible cold sore. Although HSV-1 or HSV-2 are the primary drivers of cold sores, a weakened immune system is at the root of the activation of the virus and the resulting emergence of cold sores. A weakened immune system is often the reason that factors like inflammation or stress can trigger cold sores.
Other common cold sore triggers include:
- Viral infection
- Hormonal changes
- Lack of sleep
- Skin injury
- Immune-suppressing medication
- Excess ultra-violet (UV) exposure
- Concurrent infection
Oral thrush causes and symptoms
Oral thrush occurs when Candida albicans, a normal organism present in the mouth, overgrows and accumulates. Symptoms include creamy white bumps on the tongue, inner cheeks, gums, the back of the throat, or on the tonsils. Other signs of oral thrush include redness, burning or soreness that makes it difficult to eat or swallow, loss of taste, and slight bleeding when scraping or rubbing the lesions.
While it can happen due to harsh brushing, antibiotics, smoking, and other factors, infants or older adults with weakened immune systems are most likely to get oral thrush. The overgrowth of Candida albicans (the cause of oral thrush) is a sign of an imbalanced oral microbiome, or an imbalance in the probiotic (healthy) and pathogenic (unhealthy) microbes within the mouth.
One way to improve your oral microbiome health is to avoid using harsh mouthwashes and toothpastes. Chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium fluoride, triclosan, artificial color dies, xylitol and diethanolamine (DEA) indiscriminately kill bacteria, harming beneficial microbes and promoting far-reaching microbiome dysfunction.
Mouth cancer causes and symptoms
Cold and canker sores tend to heal naturally within seven to 10 days. If you have ulcers or red or white patches inside your mouth or lips that don’t heal, consult with your dentist and physician - they might signal mouth cancer. Other mouth cancer symptoms include:
- Bleeding gums
- Persistent mouth pain
- Lump in the cheek
- Red or white patches in gums, tongue, tonsils or lining of the mouth
- Trouble moving the jaw or tongue
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weight loss
- Loosening of the teeth
- Pain in teeth or jaw
There are several known risk factors for mouth cancers. Alcohol and tobacco (including secondhand smoke and chewing tobacco) are recognized by experts as major risk factors for mouth cancer, with a 74% risk linked to these factors alone.
Studies also link alcohol intake with nutrient deficiency, which is itself an independent risk factor for oral cancer. It’s also important to note that 25% of mouth cancers aren’t associated with tobacco or alcohol use, and other risk factors include excessive UV radiation, the human papillomavirus (HPV), family history of cancer, and exposure to environmental toxicants.
How bamboo salt toothpaste can help rebalance the oral microbiome and heal mouth sores
The mouth sores and conditions above all share a unifying trait. They are signals of oral microbiome imbalance and suppressed immune system. Home to over 700 species of bacteria, the oral microbiome has the second largest and diverse microbiota after the gut. Hundreds of billions of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa colonize the teeth and the soft tissues within the mouth. Like the gut microbiome, the key to oral microbiome health depends on balance and diversity. The presence of pathogenic bacteria is a problem only for those who don’t have the healthy bacteria to counteract the impacts of the pathogenic.
Bamboo salt is a natural and effective way of addressing the causes of oral microbiome imbalances such as bad breath or mouth sores. Unlike mouthwash or over-the-counter medications, bamboo salt doesn’t just suppress symptoms. It helps you reverse the underlying processes that are at the core of the problem.
- Bamboo salt may reduce inflammation and strengthen gums
- Bamboo salt can address dietary deficiencies through micronutrients
- Bamboo salt can improve mouth pH balance
- Bamboo salt can rebalance ideal oral microbiomes
- Bamboo salt increases saliva flow to ease the symptoms and accelerate recovery
Rather than painful annoyances, mouth sores are subtle signs that something isn’t right. Without these subtle messengers, imbalances can progress silently in the background, leading to more serious conditions. When you approach them with curiosity, mouth sores and other oral health issues transform from irritating, stinging pests into drivers of balance.
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