Cold Sore Tips from a Dental Hygienist

Tips from an RDH who gets an occasional cold sore herself 🫦🦷🪥

Cold sores, or herpes labialis, HSV-1, have 5 stages and none, some or all can be painful/uncomfortable. The most frustrating part of them is if you don’t catch them early enough, you just have to let them run their course.

Stage 1: prodromal (tingling, itching, burning)

Stage 2: blister formation

Stage 3: blisters burst

Stage 4: scab formation

Stage 5: healing

common triggers: sunlight, stress, tired/fatigued, menstruation, etc

#coldsore #feverblister #rdh #dentalhygienist #oralhealth #health #oralhygiene