Smiles By Glerum

What are cold sores?

They are little sores/blisters that usually form on your lip or around your mouth. They can be very contagious and spread easily. Cold sores spread through everyday activities like sharing chapstick, sharing food or drink, kissing, or any contact with a person’s saliva that has a cold sore. Cold Sores often appear during weather changes or heavy periods of stress. Since they are so easily spread and some people are more prone to them, many people have had or will have cold sores in their lifetime. Those that contract cold sores describe them as unattractive, painful, and a cause of unwanted attention to the area.

What about canker sores?

Canker sores are different from cold sores because of their location. Cold sores are outside of your mouth while canker sores are inside of your mouth and can also be very painful.

How do you get rid of them, and how long do they last?

Both can last anywhere from a few days up to two weeks and can be extremely hard to get rid of. You can buy Carmex, Abreva, or even get medicine from the doctor, but nothing truly stops them and helps immediately. The one thing that does stop them is laser treatment for cold sores. This laser treatment also works on canker sores! It works by putting the laser on the specific area that the cold sore is located and the energy from the laser changes the tissue in that area. If you get this done right when you feel the tingling sensation before a cold sore forms, it will stop it from forming into an actual sore/blister. Even so, if the cold sore is already present when you get the treatment done, it will help relieve the pain and make it go away faster.  The BEST part about laser treatment for cold sores is that once it is done on an area, a cold sore will most likely NEVER appear in that same area again. It can also reduce the number of cold sore outbreaks you experience once you get the treatment done.

Is it a long procedure? Does it hurt? Is it expensive?

It’s not a lengthy or costly treatment. The treatment takes roughly five minutes and most of the time no anesthesia is needed at all. It’s also affordable and your insurance may even cover the treatment. It does not hurt and most of the time relieves pain from cold sores instantly. Creams and pills can be expensive and are only temporary fixes. Laser treatment is affordable and can be a permanent cure for your cold sores.  Contact our team at 561-374-8922 for more information or to set up an appointment.