A couple of years ago I had a problem with my mouth – both corners started to split, causing very painful open sores. I still get these from time to time, and I wanted people to know what the cause is for me in hopes that it can help others.
Looking for a solution
At first, I thought it was cold sores, and used the appropriate chemical treatment. I usually use Zovirax for cold sores, but this just wasn’t working.
I try to be health conscious and thought it might be some kind of vitamin deficiency. I thought it unlikely since I already take several supplements, but I decided to do some research on this issue with my trusted friend, Mr. Google.
The medical term for this type of problem is angular cheilitis, and its cause seems a bit mysterious. Is it a cold sore? Is it an iron/vitamin B/vitamin C deficiency? Is it an infection?
I tried to increase my intake of these vitamins and iron, but nothing seemed to work.
In fact, the sores seemed to be getting worse, and I found myself constantly applying Vaseline or lip balm to soothe the sores. I even wondered if this was causing the sores to get worse.
the surprise discovery
After a couple of months, I went crazy over this, and even considered taking a day off to visit my doctor. (I was working on a contract, so they wouldn’t have paid me for a trip to the doctor!)
I happened to be talking to a colleague about this and he told me that he had the exact same problem in the past. He went through the same process of trying different treatments, until he discovered the cause:
Toothpaste
Yes, that is correct. It was the toothpaste he was using at the time that caused his problem. I remembered when this problem started, and we had switched our brand of toothpaste just a week before it developed.
I immediately went back to using my old toothpaste and to my amazement the sores were gone within a week.
I had almost forgotten about this, but for the last few days I have been feeling a tingling sensation at the corners of my mouth, a sign that they might split soon. And guess what? We recently switched toothpaste brands again!
I would like to do more research on the ingredients that cause this, so I will keep a list of toothpastes that cause it. So far, I have two –
aquafresh – one of its striped varieties. I try to avoid all stripes these days.
pronoun – Variety of soft whitening. I have used some other Pronamel toothpastes without any problems.
Having lived with these sores for almost two months in the past and knowing the embarrassment it causes, I hope this can help someone.
Here’s a disclaimer in case one of these toothpaste companies tries to sue me: This post is in no way trying to prove that there is a link between toothpaste, particularly the brands mentioned, and angular cheilitis. Everything written here is my own opinion and is based on my own experience.