Get rid of canker sores, bad breath in one fell swoop

If you've noticed a small, painful spot in your mouth, you may be wondering what it is, why it's there and what you can do to treat it. If you have bad breath yet no sores on the outside of your lips, you may be suffering from aphthous ulcers, also known as canker sores. But don't worry just yet. It's easier to get rid of canker sores than you might think.

Here's some tips on how to go about it.

First, it helps to know what's going on in your mouth. You may be worried that you have cold sores in there. It may relieve you know that these are two very different conditions. Cold sores occur on the outside of your mouth, typically on or around the lips. They look like small blisters, and they are caused by the herpes simplex virus.

By contrast, canker sores are found inside the mouth, usually on the gums, tongue, under the lips or on the inner cheeks. Unlike cold sores, they usually appear flat, white and surrounded by a ring of red, inflamed tissue.

So how do you eliminate the latter - that is, what's the best way to get rid of canker sores?

To begin, understanding where canker sores come from helps you fight them. Just like with halitosis, aphthous ulcers are bacterial in origin. Your mouth is loaded with microbes, some of them good, others bad, a few downright ugly. While "good" bacteria - like those found in M12 Oral Care Probiotics - help crowd out other varieties, "bad" (or "ugly," your choice) microorganisms cause oral odor, canker sores, tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath.

By treating the source, the microbes, you can eliminate canker sores, reduce halitosis and improve your dental health all at once.

To do so, you'll need a few basic specialty products:

- First, an alcohol-free mouthwash, especially one that's made with all-natural ingredients. Alcohol doesn't kill all bacteria. Instead, it irritates the sensitive tissues in your mouth and dries out your palate, leaving you in pain, with dry mouth and halitosis that won't go away.

- Try an oxygenating toothpaste, which neutralizes odor and washes away anaerobic bacteria.

- Finally, a quality probiotics kit can replace those odor-causing critters with less harmful varieties.