Your Carson City Dentist Reveals The Truth About Cold Sores
Nothing can ruin your day quite like a cold sore. It seems like they only show up at the worst possible times and they are always embarrassing. Unfortunately, the fear of cold sores fuels the wealth of misinformation about them and many people end up believing the myths that float around. We at Advanced Dentistry by Design wrote this article to clear up all the confusion and give Carson City residents the facts.
What are cold sores?
You may have heard that cold sores are a type of oral herpes. This is true. However, before you recoil in horror, consider that 80% of the population carries this virus. That’s 8 out of 10 people! It is also true that cold sores stay with you for life, but some people will never have a single blister. On the other hand, some people have outbreaks regularly.
What do they look like?
Cold sores appear as blisters near the mouth, particularly on or around the lips. The entire cycle of a cold sore usually lasts between 10 and 14 days. An important distinction between cold sores and canker sores is that cold sores very rarely appear inside the mouth. If you are uncertain, feel free to call or come visit us at Advanced Dentistry by Design and Dr. Clint Euse, Dr. Kelly Euse, Dr. Randy Wright, and Dr. Matt Lisenby will help you sort it out.
How are cold sores transmitted?
You may have heard a rumor that it is possible to contract cold sores from dental work. This is 100% false. Dr. Clint Euse, Dr. Kelly Euse, Dr. Randy Wright, and Dr. Matt Lisenby adhere to the highest standards of sterilization and cleanliness, making any kind of contamination nearly impossible.
However, cold sores are transmitted orally and there’s a good chance that you will get them if you kiss or share a drink with someone who is having an active outbreak. These lesions are contagious and can be spread to other people or other parts of your body from the very first sign of an outbreak (including the tingling, itching stage) until the area is completely healed again. That being said, your Carson City dentist will tell you that the majority of people come into contact with cold sores before reaching the age of seven, so you may actually have been a carrier for many years without knowing it.
What causes breakouts?
There are a number of factors that can influence an outbreak, but the most common offender is stress. Additionally, an unhealthy diet, an excess of alcohol, illness, cold weather, sunburn, trauma, or anything that temporarily compromises your immune system may contribute to the formation of cold sores. It is also possible for an outbreak to be triggered by a dental procedure, so it is very important to let our doctors know beforehand if you are prone to cold sores. If given notice, we can reduce the lip stress that occurs during some procedures, and in doing so, lower the risk of an outbreak.
How are cold sores treated?
Cold sores are treated by the following methods: over-the-counter creams, prescription medications and creams, and LASERs. Yes, we said lasers! At Advanced Dentistry by Design, we have a laser that can be used on cold sores, and will actually reduce the duration of the cold sore by more than half. That means, the normal duration of a cold sore usually lasts 10-14 days. By having the cold sore treated during the initial (prodromal) stage, the healing time can reduce the duration of the lesion to lasting only 3-4 days! Additionally, research has shown the benefits of using laser therapy for treating cold sores actually decreases the pain, improves the wound healing, and patients have been shown to be symptom-free for longer periods of time, as compared to other methods of cold sore treatments.
As always, Drs. Clint Euse, Kelly Euse and Randy Wright are the experts, and we encourage all Carson City folks to come see us at Advanced Dentistry by Design for a consultation. We love helping our patients out and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have, so schedule with your Carson City dentist today!
Sources
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-p-connelly-dds/mouth-health-oral-sex-and_b_474772.html
http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/cold_sores.htm
http://www.coldsorefacts.com.au/
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