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Step #1. Try to avoid toothpast with Sodium Luryl Sulfate
(SLS) Acts just like a detergent. It is used in the laboratory as a membrane destabilizer and solubilizer of proteins and lipids. SLS is used in toothpaste to emulsify (mix) oil and water based ingredients together. In your toothpaste it creates the foam you get when brushing. Since it is classified as a soap, you will easily understand, why this ingredient can cause drying inside the mouth for many individuals. The dryness is one of several factors that will lead to bad breath.
The thought is that SLS may, in susceptible individuals, cause microscopic trauma or membrane disruption to the skin cells in the mouth. This along with trauma or actions of the immune system may lead to canker sore formation.
Recent studies have shown a link between the use of toothpastes containing SLS and the occurrence of RAS (canker sores).
The following is a synopsis of 3 European Scientific Studies:
In a study at the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway, Drs. Barvoll and Brokstad revealed a 60-70% reduction in the number of canker sores in patients who used SLS free toothpaste during the 3 month test period. Additional studies have since shown equally promising results.
In the clinical studies, patients using SLS toothpaste displayed a greater amount of desquamation (loss of a layer of skin lining the inside of the mouth). This has led to the theory that SLS may contribute to RAS (canker sores) by causing injury to the oral epithelial cells (skin cells lining the inside of the mouth).
SLS, by denaturing protective mucus proteins, may also disrupt the protective layer of mucus which lines the inside of the mouth (a denatured protein is a protein which has lost its three dimensional shape thereby becoming nonfunctional and useless). The denaturing of mucus proteins makes the cells lining the mouth more susceptible to injury and canker sore formation.
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