The first time I came across and started buying products like this was when I got my orthodontic braces put on. The lumps of metal in my mouth meant that the insides of my cheek were always irritated and seemed to attract ulcers and on top of that, the normal problem of the wire sticking out the back as the process goes on meant that it was digging into the back of my mouth.

The unusually colored turquoise packaging stands out and is easily identifiable. The contents are the tube of gel and an instruction leaflet. On the front it is advertised that the product is 'clinically proven' and the claims made are that it 'forms a long lasting adhesive protection', 'relieves pain and fights infection' and 'speeds up healing'. It is also said to be specific to ulcers, but as mentioned previously I used it on other occasions and it worked fine.

Most medicines have a leaflet that, on the whole, tells you stuff you already know and this is much the same. The one thing I would point out is that it warns you that applying excessive amounts may cause numbness and this is something I can confirm. My sister used this once and unknowingly used a lot of it at once on an ulcer close to her lip which resulted in temporary numbness and she couldn't drink/eat properly for a while.

Application of the gel is pretty standard, you are recommended to use a clean finger and then just rub it over the affected area. One minor problem; when applying it, you will be left with a lot of it stuck to you fingers which I find very difficult to get off. In the mouth this will feel rough and irritating at first, but I find that if I rinse with some water immediately after putting it on, it smooths out instantly and is barely noticeable and as soon as you stop poking it with your tongue every 5 seconds it fades into the background. The taste is slightly mint with a hint of medicine, but again this fades into the background very quickly. The gel does seem to stand the test of time fairly well, although as soon as you start eating it will wear of rapidly.

You can feel the pain subsiding after a minute or so and it really does fight infections. I had a minor infection from one of the cuts from my braces which I noticed on Friday evening so no doctors were available. I just put this on for the weekend and it was pretty much gone by Monday and it barely hurt the whole time. I have to admit that although it is said to be for ulcers, it seems, in my experience, to work considerably better for other mouth related problems. That's not to say it doesn't work well for ulcers - it does, they heal much faster than normal and never hurt. One extra use I have found for it is to use it on your tongue when you bite it or something sharp prick is. Admittedly it doesn't taste very nice when applied directly on your tongue but it is very refreshing to be relieved from the pain so this is a very versatile 'ulcer gel'.

The one major downside to this product is the price. It is £5.85 for an 8g tube. Although it does last a while because you only need to apply small amounts, the price is still very high when compared to similar brands such as Bonjela which is £2.00 for 15g. I don't find other brands as effective but in terms of value for money they may be considered a better option.