Brushing my kid's teeth used to be the easiest part of our routine. Then one day, he just stopped. I held him down and brushed anyway β and saw a red canker sore inside his mouth. He wasn't being difficult. He was in pain.
Here's what works:
- Find where the sore is. Different locations need different approaches.
- Switch to an ultra-soft toothbrush.
- Use warm water, not cold.
- Be gentle around the sore, but don't skip it entirely.
- Follow up with alcohol-free kid's mouthwash.
If it's really bad: try rinsing with warm salt water, using gauze to gently wipe teeth, or chewing xylitol gum. Or just wait for it to heal β canker sores usually resolve within a week.
What methods have you used? I'm curious how many people are in the "wait-it-out" camp.