Usually, we refer to those benign (yet painful), white sores in the mouth as “canker sores”, while “cold sores” indicate a viral sore on the lip caused by the herpes virus (very common). Both are unavoidable and will go away on their own. If your child tends to get canker sores in the same spot on the inside of the mouth, tell us at your next visit – it may be due to a sharp tooth in the area that we can smooth out.