Home Remedies for Canker Sores
WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.
NOTICE: This page was generated previously and may not be up to date. To view the most recent page, go to the dynamically generated version of the Canker Sores home remedies page.
Canker Sores Home Remedies:
Submitted at 2012-01-08 00:44:59
i had a really bad canker sore and it hurt like crazy like i wanted to pull my hair out!so my mom went to Publix and got baby Orajel nighttime formula pain Reliver for teething and put salt water on it and it not hurt at all.I went to bed and the next morning it felt better do that about 3-4 times a day and it works.
rating: 8 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-08 00:42:33
Per a research study from 2009, 74% percent of the participants had greatly reduced, or even -0- recurring canker sores after taking 1000 mcg of vitamin B-12 each night. I've had recurrent canker sores for years. Over time they increased in frequency and duration in all parts of my mouth. It was rare for me to have periods of time with no canker sores. I recently started taking B-12 and it seems to be very effective for me.
rating: 8 (5 votes)
Submitted by Meghan at 2011-12-01 16:54:10
I'm 14 and I've dealed with these nasty sores a lot as a little kid. Well, in May of 2010, I got my first bad canker sore in a really long time. Ever since then, I've gotton a lot and they hurt! 2 days ago, I got about 4 canker sores on my tounge. It got to the point where I tould barely talk and eat, and I always had to stick my tounge out to avoid pain. I tried SO many remedies found on here. Salt (numbed it but it hurt a lot and made my stomach hurt), salt water (did nothing), baking soda (did nothing either), a lot of pain relievers and canker sore meds (did nothing again), ice (it's hard to keep it on the sore because it's so cold), and sugar (numbed it, but only for a minute). I finally tried the MOUTH WASH one, and it worked! My canker sore doesn't even hurt anymore! Just swish some in your mouth (especially on the sore) for about 30 seconds and repeat once or twice. Finally something is helping!
rating: 7 (9 votes)
Submitted by Dragonxalli at 2011-10-15 01:46:10
Ive gotten these damn things forever. When I'm stressed out, eat something, or specially when I bite my tounge. After all the years that I've had them, nothing works. They hurt and so I rub them against my teeth and irritate them.
After I had one for about 3 weeks, I wend to my dr. NOT the dentist. The doctor. He said there was nothing he could really do. Nothing really helps them, other than to just leave it alone. And that's impossible cuz they hurt like a mother fuc*er. He gave me a pain medicine. Lidocane. He said take 1 tablespoon, swish for 30 sec nd spit out. I couldn't feel my mouth for 5 hours. My canker sore was gone in 2 days. Two. I was so freaking happy.
So, go to your Doctor and tell them that you just need something for the pain. Or ask for lidocane.
rating: 7 (6 votes)
Submitted by kelly at 2012-01-04 21:10:34
I have had ulcer/canker sores since i was young.I just suffered with them, until I kept getting them on the sides of my tongue,I was searching for some type of relief and found this site,after reading several comments,I decided to try melting an aspirin on the sore, I am pleased to say it worked, my sore didn't get past the beginning stage and after 3 or 4 treatments it is nearly gone, I hope this helps someone else
rating: 7 (4 votes)
Submitted by grateful at 2012-01-23 02:14:05
I used to get 7-8 canker sores a year. used L-lysine was somewhat effective if caught early enough. Found a product called Essential Oxygen 'Brushing Rinse' with food grade hydrogen peroxide. Totally cured the problem. Use it to brush my teeth and then rinse with it. Haven't had a sore in 5! years. A miracle! Found it lately at Whole Foods and on line.
rating: 7 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2011-06-30 00:04:12
Okay, so as of right now i do have a canker sore, its is the most painful thing ever! So i litterly spent an hour google-ing anything to make this go away! So i came upon this page, and read every single one of these posts and i tried almost everything, using the things i had in my house, and what worked was amazing:
Take an asprin pill (i used bayer) and place it on the sore untill it dissolves, then rinse out your mouth with warm water to get all the asprin grit out of your mouth. Next take warm water and add LOTS of salt, swish it around then repeat however many times you like (it will sting for a bit but well worth it!)
Ive used this at this moment, and i can finally eat! Hope this works so nobody has to suffer with these painful lil suckers!
rating: 7 (30 votes)
Submitted at 2007-10-02 12:28:16
I had painful canker sores for about 10 years, usually occurring about once a month. Now I've only had one mild one in a year. I found out they can be caused by Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, the ingredient in toothpaste that makes it foam up. I found a toothpaste that doesn't have that and it's called Biotene and is made for dry mouth. I found it at K-Mart and CVS, but haven't seen it at Wal-Mart. The tube costs $7 - $8, but it's sooo worth it not to have canker sores! K-Mart (here) stocks theirs beside denture cream instead of toothpaste. I hope it works for you!
rating: 7 (30 votes)
Submitted at 2008-04-18 14:44:02
I've had an old family remedy of baking soda mixed with a little water to make a paste. Just dab a bit on and although it might sting for a minute, it shrinks and gets rid of the sore within 2 days.
rating: 7 (46 votes)
Submitted by Tori Hughes at 2010-08-04 19:00:44
I've had canker sores for as long as I can remember. I get them from cheek bites, biting my tongue, and stress. Right now, I have them due to stress and I have done this for several years. My mom told me about it because she had them when she was younger. Try this for pain management:
Make a cup or pot of black tea. Take the used tea bag (it's better if it is freshly used) and lay it gently on the canker sore. It'll hurt for just a second because of the contact, but the pain starts to subside. This is because the tea leaves have tanin in them that helps with the pain relief. It doesn't really numb it, which makes it feel kinda funny. The sore just feels a nonexistent for a little bit. You can keep the tea bag on there for as long as you like, but it starts to dry and doesn't work as well as it does when it has been freshly used.
I hope this helps with the pain! I know it does for me.
rating: 7 (24 votes)
Submitted by Tim at 2011-06-18 18:39:00
Okay, so, I'm a student at Bastyr (don't know what it is then look it up) and used to struggle with canker sores for about 8 years (I am 22 now) and I feel like I've got them PRETTY darn well figured out by now, perhaps even completely figured out. The main key is prevention. Staying away from sodium lauryl sulfate (a common ingredient in most toothpastes which destroys the mucus membrane lining of the mouth) and more importantly, avoiding consuming any kind of moist, low to no oxygen, environment where bacteria can grow because I am about 99.9% sure it's a bacterial problem similar to H. Pylori in the gut, it may even actually be H. Pylori as well. In particular where I managed to eliminate my major source of this bacteria was no longer reusing water bottles, or if I did reuse them, leave the lid off, or MAKE SURE it's dry when you put the lid back on. It seems to be that this bacteria can't grow in a dry environment.
Anyways, that's just prevention. Once a canker sore has already formed, there are two things (not in combination) I've found that work above all else. Aspirin is one, just let it sit on your canker sore until it dissolves every time you feel the canker sore hurt. Not ONLY will this numb the area so you can't feel it for a few hours, but the Salicylic acid will kill the bacteria and allow the ulcer to heal within a short period of time depending on how big the sore is. The other that I have heard about is licorice root (which also destroys H. Pylori by coincidence or maybe not by coincidence) applied to the sore (referred to me by the Dean of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr). Apple cider vinegar works well, but just not as well as these two. Also WHILE you have the canker sore, do your best to stay away from fruit, and fruit juice, there is something in there that feeds the bacteria like crazy! I really think it's one of the sugars, but I'm not sure which one yet.
rating: 6 (46 votes)
Submitted by Bill at 2008-09-05 13:09:07
I have been plagued with canker sores since I was a young child (I am now 59) and I have tried everything. Though higher-powered mouthwashes with alcohol content in the 26% range gave me some relief (I'd have to hold it in my mouth 10-15 minutes and repeat this throughout the day), I've found what appears to be an outright cure for my canker sores: lysine in 500 mg tablets. These are cheap - about $4.50 per 100 - and I've not had a single canker sore in six months. I take only one per day. Before I'd get canker sores every couple of weeks. Eating something sharp, like a potato chip, was out of the question. Now I have no fear. For me, at least, lysine has been a total cure. If you're suffering, at least give it a try.
rating: 6 (45 votes)
Submitted at 2011-09-12 13:37:30
Prevention is better than a remedy. I used to get canker sores all the time. I now use a toothpaste that is made to prevent them and it works wonders. It's called Rembrandt Extra Gentle. I read that it's the ingredient in regular toothpaste that makes the toothpaste foam that can cause canker sores in some people and this toothpaste doesn't have that ingredient. It takes a bit to get used to, since it doesn't foam up at all, but I have had maybe 2 sores in the past 10 years!
rating: 6 (11 votes)
Submitted by Paul at 2007-08-23 23:18:10
I always get Canker sores a few times a year. I have tried to limit it down to certain foods or times of the year but I just can't seem to pin point what is causing them. While I was at the natural food store I ran into a woman who directed me to use Melaleuaca's Mouth wash and tooth paste. I have been doing so since December of 2006 and I have been canker sore free. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is trying to prevent canker sores. Plus it is also risk free, if it doesn't work you can send it back. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Paul
rating: 6 (31 votes)
Submitted by Kursti at 2011-03-26 23:34:57
My nana taught me when I was growing up that if you have a canker sore in your mouth swish a little peroxide around. (Do NOT swallow) Swish it around for anywhere from 30 seconds to a Minute & a Half, depending on how long you can tolerate it cause it is nasty tasting, But, believe me it helps tons, and is really worth it sometimes!!! Do it a few times a day maybe 2 or 3 and it will be gone in no time!! I've did it for years & now help my son do it when he needs!
rating: 6 (32 votes)
Submitted by Maureen at 2007-05-31 21:44:52
I get canker sores every now and then, and when I do they can be very painful and take forever to heal. I use over-the-counter remedies, but they seem to only mask the problem and I find it difficult to 'dry' the area before applying the medication. Thankfully an older friend of mine told me that swishing whiskey in your mouth until it gets numb works instantly. I do it and it seems to speed up the healing. I was skeptical at first, but believe me - it really helps (and numbs your mouth for a bit as well.)
rating: 6 (37 votes)
Submitted by Sue at 2011-01-25 17:35:18
First, I have noticed many people confuse canker sores with cold sores. They are not the same! A dermatologist prescribed prednisone for my canker sores. It works great!! The only problem is that prednisone has many side effects I'd like to avoid. I am looking for more natural remedies, so thank you all for what you've posted here. A major contributor to my canker sores has been an allergy or sensitivity to chlorine in the water supply. Our town only chlorinates periodically. This could be a factor for some of you, especially if your water is chrlorinated. Bottled or filtered water would probably help you. I have also found stress, hormones, and some foods, especially nuts and seeds, are culprits. I just wish someone would come up with a cure and I feel for all of you who have suffered with canker sores.
rating: 6 (24 votes)
Submitted by Joe Cool at 2010-07-01 05:18:25
Hot Water and Alot of Salt. let it sit in your mouth on the sore for about 5 min.... do it 4 times a day
rating: 6 (33 votes)
Submitted at 2007-05-08 23:14:07
i apply salt directly to my canker sore right before bed. it burns but by morning its usually gone.
rating: 6 (49 votes)
Submitted by Dream A Little Dram at 2011-11-13 06:46:09
I suffered from these torturous white ulcerations for years. I usually had anywhere from 4-6 in my mouth at any given time. It made eating anything with tomato, citrus, or vinegar unbearable. It was often painful just to speak or breath. A few things seemed to help a little (switching to a toothpaste without SLS, avoiding grapes etc.) But they always came back. Then, quite by accident I came across that (for me at least) completely eliminated them forever. For me it is the miracle cure. Don't laugh when I tell you what it is, I'm completely serious. Some friends of mine were into tasting Single Malt Scotch Whisky as a hobby. I joined their group and within a week, I was symptom free and have been ever since, with the exception of one time when because of travel, I could not enjoy a drink or two per evening. So, try it out and let me know if you have the same results. Get yourself a bottle of at least 12 year old single malt scotch and slowly sip at least one dram per evening and see if your sores don't completely disappear within a week, never to return (as long as you continue to regularly enjoy the beverage).
rating: 6 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2010-05-16 20:09:58
A really fast easy way that I use is take a q tip and dip the end of it in mouth wash. look in the mirror and hold it on there for about a minute. watch as the white turns into the normal color of your gum. it might hurt a little at first but you can't feel it at all after the bacteria is killed. keep the q tip on there until the pain goes away. if you do this 2-3 times a day, it'll go away in about a day.
just don't keep touching them like you always do!
rating: 6 (68 votes)
Submitted by Reese's at 2011-12-13 12:25:06
OK. I read online that you should use MOUTH WASH... i think that unless you have VERY high pain tolerance you should not use this remedy. I used mouth wash and i started crying becuz of how much that thing hurt! i read that this girl said the pain went away instantly.. not really. dont try this, gargle and swish warm salt water. or put a small ice cube on the sore to numb it. thats all i can say.
rating: 6 (12 votes)
Submitted by Mar at 2010-08-23 01:26:47
I recently got a canker sore inside my mouth after biting twice. Then it got worse after drinking pineapple juice and eating one of those plastic-wrapped, ready-to-eat apples (gross!). So my sore got worse and it hurt so bad that I couldn't even eat, sleep, laugh, and kiss my husband. So I researched natural remedies and found that these, combined, helped in the healing process: eat banana and yogurt daily, eat anything with turmeric powder and honey, take a Vitamin B-Complex, brush with Rembrandt Canker Sore toothpaste, gargle with warm salty water, and gargle with plain warm water. Avoid acidic food! It sounds like a whole lot but it worked really well for me. My mouth began to heal as soon as I practiced these natural remedies.
rating: 6 (27 votes)
Submitted at 2009-06-17 23:50:44
I've suffered from canker sores my entire life and I've tried everything. So far, Aphtasol is working. You need a prescription though, but if you use it as soon as you feel the canker sore, it reduces the pain and it helps healing faster. If I have a breakout (several at the same time) I rinse with peroxide and then use Aphtasol.
rating: 6 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2011-10-12 10:30:03
I used to get canker sores all the time when I was a kid. Well I have the worst canker sore I have ever had, and it hurts like h#$#. My father used to wet the tip of his finger and put ALUM on it ( you can find in the spices), then he would apply it to my canker sore. It stings for a few seconds. I did it yesterday and my canker sore is almost gone. Try it, it really works.
rating: 6 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2008-02-19 23:29:29
allum powder: I spend at least half of my time with at least one horrible canker in my mouth. They get enormous and rarely heal in less than two weeks. I have tried medications and toothpastes even from other countries trying to get rid of these things. However, the thing that I have been trying lately is something that my grandmother told me when I was a kid. You put allum powder on the canker sore and it will really help it heal. If I use the allum powder when the canker is just starting it doesn't seem to help a whole lot, but if I wait until the 3rd or 4th day of the canker, then coat the canker in alum powder before I go to bed (mind you this burns like nothing I have ever felt before). In the morning if I have gotten it completely covered the night before then there is no indentation left and the white will have black spots. After about an hour or so I can just peel the white covering on the canker off and then there is nice pink flesh underneath. If I keep the canker clean after that, it is usually healed in another couple of days. For me this is at least 1 to 2 weeks quicker than normal stuff. If you try this please be careful because the alum powder is some powerful stuff. I hope that it won't give me cancer or something. The other night I got too much and I had some blisters on the area around my canker. If you prefer to use alum rocks then just break off a couple of chunks and tuck them next to the canker and the next day the miracle will be starting.
rating: 6 (22 votes)
Submitted by connie at 2011-02-05 23:13:42
well i grew up thinking canker sores came from upset stomaches but that doesnt always seem tp be the case thru time i have used salt water rince and peroxide rince it seems to give relief
rating: 6 (14 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-04 15:07:37
Quantum Research Canker Cover are absolutely the best method I've used. I get them on a periodic basis, but when I do, they're generally in multiples of 2-3, 6. And yes, they hurt like hell, make me cranky and I don't want to speak or eat. Most recently the little suckers are on both right and left sides of my tongue and I've only had it happen once before, put the Canker Cover on using a small set of tweezers due to the odd location and within 2 days, GONE! So, off to the store and Canker Cover to the rescue.
rating: 6 (7 votes)
Submitted by Hugnik at 2008-11-10 23:55:16
Try The Canker Spanker. I have tried everything and this was the easiest thing. Just a couple of pills a day and my canker pain was gone in 24 hours and the canker is gone in less than a week. I have tried this product several times and works everytime! Highly recommended!!!
rating: 6 (11 votes)
Submitted by Janine at 2012-01-02 02:20:14
I have suffered from canker sores for as long as I can remember and I normally endured the pain for 2 weeks but recently tried a new experiment and has helped me ever since. The second I bite the inside of my cheek or tongue I will brush my teeth to prevent further germs from affecting the area and the following days I will place salt directly on the sore or red area if it swells twice a day for one to two minutes a day. It not only numbs the pain but reduces the canker sore itself. Also remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day and keep your mouth clean by using mouth wash to prevent germs further infecting the canker sore. Yes, it may sting at the time but it's better than not doing anything about it at all.
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted by 13 old kid at 2012-01-10 22:26:10
OK so im 13 and i get canker sores so bad. i have them bad but the best thing that has worked is alcetzer plus tablets...u let them sit on your sore its burns probably worse than the mouth wash but five minutes of letting sit there and its almost gone.....then after wards used green tea bags sooth it better than and store bought item
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2011-10-25 14:05:50
My mom used to wet the tip of her finger with warm water, and dip her finger in Baking Soda, then applied it directly onto the canker sore. Leave the baking soda on the canker sore for about 1-2 minutes, then swish some warm water in your mouth. It stings a little at first, but once you rinse your mouth, the canker sore gets numb. Do this once or twice a day, and the canker sore will heal much faster.
rating: 6 (18 votes)
Submitted at 2011-08-24 18:10:49
Canker sores can be cured quickly by putting a bit of salt directly on the sore. It burns, so if you're a wimp, you can use mouthwash regularly or swish out your mouth with warm, salty water
rating: 6 (26 votes)
Submitted at 2010-04-24 13:29:28
ok I have prom tonight and I have two sores along my bottom jaw line, makes it very hard to smile(like in the crevis where my jaw and gum meet) I normally get sores on my tongue and cheeks. This is a new one for me. Tt's been about a week since they showed up and they are only getting worse, but this morning I did a series of things. First I let peroxide sit in my mouth untill it foamed up on its own,(no swishing) then spit and repeat (after foam that is left over, which is the part that is healing it, is gone) then I rinsed with a little salt water, that hurts like CRAZY but afterwards NO PAIN then I did the whole baking soda paste thing let it DRY on there(yes I drooled a little trying to keep my cheek open)then rinsed it out again with warm salt water, I just rinsed again with peroxide and it's already feeling 100 times better.
rating: 6 (34 votes)
Submitted by Chris Beatty at 2010-01-20 23:35:27
Since everyone’s time is short, I’ll give the punch line right away and you can decide if the details are worth your time.
1) Canker sores are small (painful) infections that occur when the lining of the mouth is compromised by mechanical or chemical damage. Probably not a virus as once thought.
2) Switching to a somewhat obscure toothpaste called Squigle (yes, really) reduced my canker sore problem by about 75%. The toothpaste was designed by a dentist to minimize ingredients that irritate your mouth lining or inhibit healing. These include detergents (especially sodium laurel sulfate (SLS)), bleaches (like peroxides), abrasives, etc. Beware of a new Rembrandt “canker sore” toothpaste that is free of SLS, but made my problem much worse.
3) When I do bite or otherwise nick the inside of your mouth, I use Biotene mouthwash to reduce infection risk in a painless way. I also use it when I know I am stressed or starting to see signs of problems in my mouth.
4) If I still get a canker sore, I use a Canker Cover for two to three days. For me, it will shut down the sore and put it on a path toward healing. They are a bit awkward, but they work.
Here is some background and more information for those who are interested.
I have had canker sores since I was little. My recollection is that I had them pretty often when I was small, then it became infrequent for a number of years, then it started to worsen as an adult. It got bad enough that I would have the same sore for many weeks (due to re-injury and/or lack of healing) only to be followed by another one shortly thereafter. I was crabby and getting a little depressed. I was desperate to improve the situation. I even had my dentist grind down my eye teeth because they were frequent culprits in cutting the inside of my mouth. I started studying the problem. One important item is that the belief when I was a kid was that the sores were caused by a virus and, like the common cold, there was little that could be done except to treat the pain. This is no longer the current thinking. It now appears that the sores are small, extremely painful “secondary infections.” This means that something else causes the primary wound and then the bugs (bacteria) in your mouth take over. The mouth, of course, is a very buggy place.
The first real breakthrough for me came when I read that detergents (ie soaps) are put in nearly all toothpaste to make it foam. It doesn’t really help clean your teeth, but the effect is deemed worthwhile. These materials, especially sodium laurel sulfate, irritate the inside of your mouth and/or damage the natural protective layer, and/or inhibit healing once a sore occurs. This effect was documented by research in Sweden some years ago (ref). Finding a toothpaste that does not have SLS is not easy. After some looking, I found a brand called Squigle. The name is a little hard to take seriously, but the effect was totally serious! My canker sores went down by about 75% with sustained use of Squigle. This toothpaste has been carefully designed by a dentist in Pennsylvania to be free of ingredients that promote or prolong canker sores. These include SLS and similar coumpounds, bleaches, abrasives, and more. Squigle also has a lot of xylitol which fosters benign bugs at the expense of the nasty ones which cause tooth decay (and possibly canker sores, but I have not seen any research on this). BTW, be wary of the new Rembrandt “SLS Free – Canker Sore” toothpaste. After a couple years of Squigle, I ran out and decided to try a tube of this since I could get it locally. I didn’t think much about it because it was SLS free. I soon began to get canker sores again. I didn’t make the connection right away (duh!). The situation escalated to the point where I had five active canker sores in my mouth at one time. This was the worst I had ever had in my life. It finally dawned on me that I had changed toothpaste about when the problem occurred. I immediately ordered more Squigle and decided that just water might be an improvement. Within 48 hours of the time I stopped using Rembrandt, two of the sores had subsided. Within another 72 hours, they were all healing. This was after weeks of steadily worsening condition. I am back on Squigle and have not seen a single sore in a couple months. This set of events is what prompted me to share my collected experience. I hope it helps some people. Okay, back to the previous situation. Squigle alone was enough to make things manageable for me. However, there was still room for improvement. When I still got the occasional sore, I would rinse my mouth with Listerine since I knew it killed bacteria. It hurt like hell, but didn’t usually help. I did it anyway, although I’m not sure why. On a business trip, I bit my mouth and I didn’t have any mouthwash. I went to a local pharmacy and bumped into a product called Biotene. Instead of harsh alcohol to kill bacteria, this product uses enzymes. It is completely painless. In fact, it provides a bit of immediate pain relief in my experience. It also appears to create a better mouth condition for healing. While I have not found the effect to be quite as dramatic as the toothpaste, it does seem to help me so I keep it as a part of my arsenal (yes, this is warfare). On that same trip, I actually found two new products. The other one was a small patch called a “Canker Melt” that you put on the sore to protect it and promote healing. The first time I tried it (with Biotene), it worked. The sore shut down and healed. Since then I have tried it a few more times, and it has not helped. It is worth a try if you don’t mind the taste of licorice since it made from licorice root. I have had better luck with a different type of “patch” called a “Canker Cover.” These are little tablets that you apply directly to the sore. They swell up a bit and create a protective cover that has a slight menthol flavor. The protection does provide some pain relief and my experience has been that if you use them at night before bed, the sore will begin to heal within a couple days. The downside is that you wake up in the morning with this gooey patch in your mouth. Not horrible, but a little awkward. For me, it beats the pain of the sore.
Another major area that has been studied a bit is diet/nutrition. There are some long lists of things you are not supposed to eat if you get canker sores. Among these is chocolate and wine and I am pretty stubborn about giving up either one! You may want to look into it more. I have also read some pretty credible sounding stories from people that had specific nutritional deficiencies that seemed to cause problems. You may want to look at lysine or vitamin B12, especially if you are a vegetarian/vegan.
All in all, I feel lucky that I have been able to turn this bad situation into an infrequent occurrence. I hope that this information can help a few others make some improvement, too. If it does, I’d love to hear about it at christopherbeatty@hotmail.com. Good luck.
rating: 6 (79 votes)
Submitted by shayanne at 2010-11-26 01:39:36
Hi I'm shayanne and my dad always tels me to put salt on my canker sores I never thought it would work but it actually numbs it and you don't feel any pain and the next day it was gone. So if you have tried it or have any questions about remedies I use email me at shayanneharder@live.ca thank you
rating: 6 (17 votes)
Submitted at 2011-09-30 20:34:43
i've read a ton of the remedies below&i just tried the salt one. it works in less then 5 minutes. have a teaspoon of salt and have a glass of warm water next to you. put the salt on the tip of your finger and put right on your canker sore. it will burn the first time but it gets better. then swish some warm water around your mouth and repeat. the sore will be gone in about a minute and feel was less painful
rating: 6 (34 votes)
Submitted by D.I. at 2011-12-04 02:16:44
I'm 42 and have gotten canker sores for as long as I can remember. They range from single little ones to several big, everywhere from where the tongue joins my mouth, to my gum and back of my cheek. What's worse is now some of my kids have started to get them. My wife never got one until after we married, so I'm suspicious that there is some way they transmit, but the doctor's don't seem to have a clue.
I've tried lots of different things- once I got so mad i scraped one with my toothbrush, and another time i rubbed lemon juice on one- just hoping to KILL it!
In general these methods seem to work well, albeit temporarily:
Rinse with mouthwash- the stronger the better. It'll burn like crazy for 5-10 seconds, and then go numb for a while (enough to enjoy dinner). Listerine works best, better than the off-brands or the colored stuff.
Use the over-the-counter meds. There are a couple different ones, but most involve putting a gel or liquid over the sore. I use a paper towel or piece of fabric (not tissue) to dry the area well, apply and wait for it to dry. Hard to do well, and you end up drooling a bit, and it hurts like crazy for those first few seconds- but still enough to enjoy your meal and/or take away the misery.
Same goes for salt water rinse (or i expect, baking soda).
But here's the real kicker - and the hardest but best remedy EVER. I learned it only a few years ago, and it works like a CHAMP. You have to get a lot of sleep. If I have some nasty sores, and get two nights of 10-12 hours, they are GONE. I the past i'd go weeks and they'd go from bad to worse. But I was stressed and tired, both making it worse.
Problem is, it's hard to find time to get that much sleep- we all know that. But believe me, it works, it's natural, and it gives you an excuse to go to bed at 8pm and call it a day- I can feel the differences after one good, long sleep. You all know the feeling, when you've got the sore on the run and the edge is gone...
rating: 6 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2011-10-26 23:06:55
Baking soda. 2 minutes. Its legit.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted by Jen at 2009-05-16 19:57:25
I have gotten canker sores for years. Lysine works. BUT, it may take 1-2 days to kick in. SO, I had the worst one on the side of my tongue. Took Lysine. For quick relief put the salt/baking soda concoction. Went out to dinner and ordered a Sour Apple Martini. My canker sore is almost gone...weirdest thing...it stung really badly after the first sip, to the point where my eyes were watering. THEN I actually enjoyed my yummy meal...I am curious for someone else to try drinking an Apple Martini over your canker sore to see if it works for you. Maybe it was a freak thinG...maybe not!
rating: 6 (14 votes)
Submitted by shannon at 2006-01-20 12:22:06
For canker sores in the mouth, I have found that Ceprachol mouth wash (yellow) works very fast at reducing healing time and the pain of the sores. This remedy also works for thrush in a babies mouth. If you apply it to a q-tip and swab the babies mouth 3 times a day, the thrush will disappear. (worse case scenario, you get fresh breath!)
rating: 6 (5 votes)
Submitted by jons at 2006-06-13 08:41:42
Wrights teething gel, it sounds ridiculus but it works, kills off a mouth ulcer after 2-3 swabs so in a day and a half its almost dead. I believe it does this because it specialises in gum problems to do with teething.
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2008-03-14 12:17:09
This may sound odd but a good friend of mine suggested eating cabbage to help with the healing time of canker sores. IT WORKS!!! Over twenty years ago I had an acute case of canker sores, they were everywhere in my mouth; the roof of my mouth, on my tongue, on every part of the gum line, well you get the picture. After two weeks of being on a liquid and very soft food diet I was willing to try anything. At that time my friend gave me some capsules of concentrated cabbage. After 2-3 days almost every one of the sores were gone.
Now I just buy fresh cabbage and eat a leaf several times a day. You can also make the cabbage into a paste by grinding it up and applying directly to the sores for several minutes. Be sure to swollow it because this helps in the process of healing. It stings, but you'll notice them getting better within the first 24 hours. The best part is this isn't a chemical you are applying to the sores, it's a natural way to get better. I hope you try this, it really is a great way to get rid of canker sores.
rating: 6 (9 votes)
Submitted by TCB at 2011-01-07 08:39:25
For canker sores in my mouth. I would dry the area, use my finger and apply some campho phenique to the sore. I hold my mouth open for at least five minutes so that the area could stay dry so that the product could get a chance to work prior to being washed down my throat with saliva. I do this at least twice a day for about two days.
Another way is to dry the area and then lay a piece of an Alka Seltzer tablet right on the sore and close your mouth while trying not to move the tablet. Do this a few times a day.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted by April at 2011-07-05 14:18:02
I have braces so I get canker sores a lot. The wax the orthodontist give me does not work. One way I found is to take a handkerchief and fill the very bottom with a water and baking soda paste. Hold that to your canker sore for a minute when you wake up and before you go to bed. It hurts but will clear in 1 or 2 days.
rating: 6 (21 votes)
Submitted at 2011-10-16 01:27:55
I have had ulcers in my mouth for about 10 years, if not longer. I have been to specialists to try to find a cure......never found a solution to my problem. So I began experimenting with the foods I ate on a regular basis......I began to quit eating or drinking certain things and keeping a diary.....I found my problem....I think. I haven't had an ulcer in about 4 months because I quit drinking milk. I believe I'm allergic to something in milk.....might sound crazy...but I use to drink milk like everyday....and when I quit....my ulcers didn't come back! Sooooo much relief!
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2006-01-22 09:20:33
Take 3 acidophilus pills in the morning and 3 in the evening and they start healing right away.
rating: 5 (24 votes)
Submitted by Robert at 2008-12-11 14:20:35
Ok, I think I've got the perfect remedy. If I told you how many canker sores I'd get you'd probably think nothing of you pain. Think double digit everytime I broke out is how I'd put it.
The fix is simple. Listerine mouth wash. I brush twice a day so I don't have a dirty mouth and that didn't help at all. So I tried listerine for about 10 minutes in the morning, noon, and night. It works. It numbs the canker sores. And it makes the canker sores go away sooner and most of the time prevents them from getting huge and much more painful. And eating is a pain with cankers. Well, listerine for 10 minutes before you eat and you can now eat much easier. I hope this works for you.
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted by Bianca at 2011-05-25 12:55:57
i complained about these little annoying things for so long. one of my docotrs suggested a teaspoon of liquid benadryl and a teaspoon of vinegar together and swish around...i wont lie, it burns for about 5-10 seconds but pain is non-existant afterwards and it heals within a day!!!
it works...hope this helps someone :)
rating: 5 (40 votes)
Submitted by ryan r at 2011-12-20 22:38:18
well im just a young kid who gets canker sores ever scince i was about 4.well my mom told me to try water and cinnamin.it really isnt all that great in taste but sure will help your canker sore in less than 11 days.i also have been using anbesol. it works great.it only numbs your canker sore though.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Danielle at 2007-06-27 06:22:35
I dont know why nobodys said this..
but i SWEAR on honey. Just dab some honey on your sore and boomb , it'll reduce the pain almost immediately and will heal the canker in as short as a day.
rating: 5 (38 votes)
Submitted at 2011-07-01 00:44:33
My mom told me to apply baking soda to canker sores. Although it burns like hell, it seems to make them go away faster. But that's just me.
rating: 5 (28 votes)
Submitted at 2006-04-09 07:33:08
Get any regular salt, like iodized table salt, and mix it with water. Rinse your mouth a few times. It will sooth the pain on the gums. Do this everytime it starts to hurt or feel funky. Just rinse often and the stress spot that caused the canker sore will subside.
rating: 5 (41 votes)
Submitted at 2007-05-30 07:48:11
I have suffered from canker sores my whole life and they are THE WORST!! In my case they are related to stress and eating certain foods (nuts, raw tomatoes) so I try to avoid those. But
the only thing I have found so far that really seems to get RID of them (instead of just numbing the pain) is Kenalog in Orabase(triamcinolone acetonide paste). I found it in South Africa but I think it also exists in the US. It doesn't do anything for the pain but it seems to shrink the things in just a few days (my really bad ones last over a week). You put it on at night. It is as close to a miracle drug as I have found so far! Otherwise, I use Zilactin-B for the pain, which HURTS like the devil when you first put it on but numbs it so you can eat/talk/etc. But try the Kenalog stuff - so far it has kept mine from growing into the beasts they usually become!
Good luck!!
rating: 5 (26 votes)
Submitted by Paul at 2008-10-31 01:58:48
For years I suffered from horrible, very large and painful canker sores and used every OTC medication ever made - further compounding matters was that I was a brass player and playing tended to aggravate the sores.
At a doctor's visit about ten years ago, I mentioned my sores and the nurse told me that one thing that worked to get rid of her and her son's canker sores was simply taking a natural supplement - lysine- which seemed to do the trick.
I went to the pharmacy that day, got a bottle of lysine tablets, took one a day for about a month, and I haven't had a canker sore since (and I've never had to start taking the supplement again during the course of the past 10 yrs). I've posted this information on a similar comments forum and received a number of responses from people thanking me as it worked for them. Frankly, it's amazing that more folks don't know about this treatment - I suppose the OTC canker sore treatment industry doesn't want word to get out about it.
rating: 5 (32 votes)
Submitted at 2007-11-16 12:04:56
hrrmm... i dont like to spend so much either... but i've always used
1. sugar --- just put some on and let it dissolve there... numbs it pretty well - and doesnt burn like salt... eek! but i guess it's similar to using honey?? but i dont have honey in my house.. hehe
or
2. crush aspirin - i use bayer because it's gives a grainy texture - and just use it like you would in number one
or...
3. just place the soft aspirin on the sore until it dissolves
rating: 5 (34 votes)
Submitted at 2008-01-13 15:30:36
I also use hot water mixed with salt it does sting for a few second, but it does relieve the tension and the pain, I break out bad like every 7 years, its weird, but when I do I can barley talk.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2011-06-28 16:17:57
These troublesome little sores have been annoying me for years now and i think i have tried millions of remedies. Eventhough some of them do work, the one that i have been liking lately are potatoes. Thinly slice a raw potato and hold it onto the sore for as long as you'd like. it takes the pain right away and i think it helps heal it too!
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2010-06-30 18:57:51
So I have had canker sores my entire life too and I remember growing up my dad used to wet a q-tip and stick it in the salt shaker and hold my lip out as I wailed b/c it hurt so bad, but made it better within a day. Now, however, I was referred to a liquid call Gly-Oxide. It's about $12 for a nasalspray bottle size, but works wonders. Ask your local pharmacy, seriously it works!!
rating: 5 (23 votes)
Submitted by peggie@cheapcheez.com at 2008-07-24 15:09:20
Dip the end of your toothbrush in Alum (found in the spices and seasonings aisle at the grocery store) and dab it on the canker sore. It will sting for a few seconds but it kills the sore. It will be gone by morning.
rating: 5 (30 votes)
Submitted by Z at 2011-01-14 13:52:53
After reading a million different remedies and trying out many of them, here is the solution that has worked miracles for me and basically made me canker sore free after many years of suffering from them. And it was EASY!!
1) Switch to a Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)-free Toothpaste. SLS causes canker sores by irritating your mouth lining, and it's almost all brand name toothpaste. I use JASON Seafresh toothpaste and love it, but any that does not have SLS it should work too!
2) Take a good quality 1000mg Lysine supplement daily. This helps heal any sores you may have and also prevents them.
That's it! Those two steps will save you! I can't tell you how much better my life is now. Best of luck!
rating: 5 (30 votes)
Submitted by Patty at 2007-10-10 09:55:11
I used to suffer from canker sores alot ever since i was a kid. But in the last year i have recently started to eat organic foods as much as i can and i believe that the toothpaste i switched too probably has something to do with it. I have been using an all natural toothpaste and i have been canker sore free in almost a year now. Unfortunately my daughter seems to still get them, but i think that has to do with all the sugar her dad feeds her. She seems to get them everytime she has a slurpee.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2008-04-20 18:25:04
Take an Omega 3 or Omega 3-6-9. Nordic Naturals brand is great.
You can get them at Whole Foods.
I have had canker sores for as long as I can remember (~25 years). I always seem to have one or more brewing.
After starting to take Omega 3 vitamins for general health, I noticed my canker sores cleared up. I've even experimeted. If I stop taking the vitamins for several days.... the canker sores come back.
It's been working for me for over a year now.
rating: 5 (15 votes)
Submitted at 2007-10-21 23:29:03
Put salt on it. It may burn a little, but that means its working. Do it right before you go to bed and it should be gone by morning.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Nick at 2009-08-04 05:12:21
The absolute best thing that has ever worked for me is baking soda. All you do is dab the tip of a wet q-tip into a box of it and put directly on the sore, although it stings, it is gone within 2 days. I also believe the MAIN reason for mine is stress, any amount and I get atleast one a day.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Jami at 2011-09-12 22:19:26
I've been all over the internet and everyone calls my canker sore remedy a canned sore cause: chocolate. Specifically Hersheys bars that have the dozen little segments you can break apart. Break off one piece at a time and set it on top of the sore until the chocolate melts away. Do this with the whole candy bar. Don't let it touch the rest of your mouth too much, chocolate is as irritating to the rest of your mouth as it is to the canker sore. Brush your teeth good when you're done. The sore will still be there tomorrow, but it won't hurt and healing will begin. Chocolate eats away the infection. I didn't know chocolate was considered a cause of canker sores when I was given this remedy, or I might not have tried it.
rating: 5 (15 votes)
Submitted by Mixalo at 2011-04-04 15:21:44
I've been taking Lysine, Acidophilus, Goldenseal and Zinc tablets. These seem to cut recovery time down to about half the time. Eating raw onions seems to be helping too. Something needs to be done about these bastards!
rating: 5 (25 votes)
Submitted by jen at 2011-01-05 16:41:38
I have found great results using campho phenique, applied with a q-tip a few times during one day and usually by the next day it is well on it's way to healing.
I am checking the other remedies listed on this forum because I am out of town and don't want to have to go to the store. Today I tried salt applied directly to the sore and then let a chewable vitamin C disolve on the sore. The vitamin C seems to have helped a bit, guess I'll know better by tomorrow.
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted by Connor at 2011-12-21 03:49:56
Sometimes I get canker sores from stress but I usually get them from a small cut from brushing. I have a bad one right where my gum line meets my lip and what's been working the best for pain and taking away the swelling is carefully avoiding it when I brush, rinsing with salt water as hot as I can stand, holding small amounts of peroxide on that spot in my mouth for about a minute and rinsing with Listerine mouthwash. I have the whitening one which has peroxide in it already but I still swish with plain of Brown bottle peroxide to help heal and kill bacteria. Hope this helps!
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted by RCENTRELLA at 2008-02-02 07:31:04
TEA BAGS
I GET MOUTH SORES FROM CHEMO
TANNIN FROM TEA WILL RELIEVE THE PAIN ALMOST INSTANTLY. HOLD THE USED TEA BAG ON THE SORE. SWISHING THE TEA ALSO LESSENS PAIN.
rating: 5 (22 votes)
Submitted by Melinda at 2010-12-17 17:40:24
This one is not pleasant. I treat my canker sores by swishing apple vinegar around in my mouth. It burns but it kills off the canker sore. Worst part is enduring the taste!
rating: 5 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2011-06-29 23:47:41
When i had canker sore I used 4 tablespoons of peroxide and 8 tablespoons of water. Swish around the area for 30 seconds each sip, and it will sooth the pain away.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2011-09-18 16:14:59
I've heard that wet teabags work really well. A friend of my mom's suffered with multiple cankers in his mouth. He would have to take off work and sit in a chair all day with teabags in his mouth. That is what his doctor told him to do.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2010-08-12 00:16:50
i just tried orajel and it worked enough for me to be able to eat and i feel like i can sleep well now, in the monring im going to try the malox and benadryl
i just had dental work and canker on top of that sux
rating: 5 (24 votes)
Submitted by nikhil at 2008-09-22 07:36:10
canker sore remedy : I suffer chronically from canker sores. After trying out a lot of OTC and home remedies I have discovered one remedy that really works and gives quick relief. As I get the feeling that I am getting sore, I have fresh lime juice with rock salt ( i do not add sugar/ sweetener or table salt). It not only gives me an immediate relief from stinging pain, but also with three to four times use in a day relieves me of the sore in a couple of days.
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by Cindy at 2011-11-16 20:48:21
I have had these things since I was a little kid and discovered a cure before they get started good. When you feel a canker sore starting, take a qtip and dip it in tea tree oil and hold on sore for a minute. Do not rinse out of your mouth. The taste is bad but don't rinse. This will stop the sore from forming and if you happen to already have one, it will help it heal and stop the pain quickly. You can find it at your local health food store. Good Luck!
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2006-05-09 08:33:31
I eat Beer Salt to heal my ulcers. Same remedy as the salt, but more pleasant way to do it. It tastes much better than straight salt. I just eat a little throughout the day and my ulcers heal alot faster. I'm currently trying the allum theory. We'll see how that works.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted by Michael G at 2008-04-10 15:22:05
I agree with the peroxide treatment posting but use Colgate's Peroxydol, not only for rinsing but use the liquid as the toothpaste. I have suffered since I was 5 years old with large and frequent outbreaks, usually once a month and sometimes 2 and 3 at a time. It used to be, bite my lip get a sore. Now if I have a gum injury, I double up on the rinses and brushings...and no sores. I have actually kept track and have had 1-2 sores per year for the last 5, and tey are 50-75% less painful. I tried everything and this is the only remedy I would recommend for the serious sufferer.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted by Dez at 2009-01-21 08:55:56
This is an old house remedy that my mother would use on us whenever we had canker sores, which ran in my family: simply placing a pinto bean onto the sore itself. It didn't hurt too bad when you put it on and since beans absorb moisture it 'latches onto' the sore itself. Just leave the pinto bean on there for as long as it will hold naturally, usually several hours and the sore should go away relatively quickly.
I would usually put it on right before bed but I'm somewhat of a wild sleeper so the bean would come off due to my moving around. The only trick is to not speak or move your mouth in such a way that makes the bean fall off.
As far as the sleeping with it goes, I'd only recommend that for people who sleep on their side regularly, such as myself, as to prevent the bean from being inhaled during sleep.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Jeff Haley at 2006-06-02 15:29:03
The best treatment is Cankermelts - All natural adherent discs with natural anti-inflammatory licorice root extract. Go to orahealth.com
Orahealth is now testing a new product to prevent canker sores. If you want to try it (free) go to http://www.orahealth.com/orahealth/Pages/testing.htm
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted by Jennifer at 2006-06-22 10:55:12
for canker sores treatment may I suggest you try to drink planty of water.. for me I been having kanker sores when I was very young and every time I had one.. the canker sore got very big and last very long... mostly I would bit on my bottom lips every time I stay up late or eating spicy foods...and the canker would start forming (like a half a pies size) .. I had try many home remedy even the one that my family doctor provided it didn't seem to work for me.. but recently I realized maybe because I didn't drink enough water... so I decide to try and see.. wow amazingly! it did work.. my canker it heal a lot faster and now it didn't seem I get that too often..
I hope this would help who's ever out there that are suffering from these nasty canker sores..
rating: 5 (38 votes)
Submitted by texasnurse at 2010-02-11 00:16:18
Take 1tsp of benadryl and mix with 1tsp of mylanta, or maalox. swish n spit. this will coat the canker sore and numb the pain. dont swallow or you will numb ur throat..but if u do it will not harm u...
rating: 5 (25 votes)
Submitted by Heather at 2007-01-15 11:40:08
I have tried everything on the market for canker sore relief. Some product help protect for a while if it's not where a tooth cuts into it constantly. Then I discovered baking soda. If you mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1/2 cup water and rinse several times a day ( at least every 2 hours or more often) it when I have thwill heal in 2 or 3 days instead of weeks! I couldn't believe how well it worked. I'm some what of a skeptic but at much pain I'll try anything at least once. Also, a chemical in toothpaste causes about 80% of all canker sores and Rembrant makes a toothpaste without it (for canker sores prevention). It's hard to find in stores so I ordered it online. I get way fewer breakouts now but when I do the baking soda works. I've also started mixing a little baking soda with my toothapaste to help prevention.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by bakyspritz at 2006-01-15 16:28:03
I used to suffer from canker sores quite a bit. As any canker sore suffer knows, they are painful suckers because it's impossible not to keep your mouth immobile (eat, talk, etc.). All the over-the-counter medication never worked because the inside of the mouth is hard to coat. Healing usually took 1 to 2 weeks no matter what I put on it. I got a tip from some website long ago about how canker sores came from your own immune system attacking itself b/c of trauma to the mouth. It suggested not eating potatoe chips because it can nick your mouth tissue. It actually works. AVOID EATING CHIPS AT ALL COST.
rating: 5 (35 votes)
Submitted at 2006-11-11 23:35:10
To keep those cold sores from reoccuring, dip your toothbrush in peroxide after each use. You will notice a difference. Outbreaks will be few if not non existent.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2008-03-23 22:08:24
A remedy that sometimes works for me when dealing with canker sores is to apply a vitamin C tablet and allow it to dissolve on the sore. It stings a little bit at first, but just keep applying it and after a few seconds the pain starts to go away. I think this helps with the quickness of healing.
rating: 5 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2011-11-26 11:50:04
Growing up my dad always had canker sores. I too now get them from stress, sweets, a scratch that turns into one, or for no reason at all. I have LITERALLY tried EVERYTHING and have spent hundereds of dollars in the mean time. The ONE thing I have found that eases the pain and heals the canker sore is a product called Canker Cover by QUANTUM RESEARCH. THEY ARE AMAZING!!!! You get 6 small patches (that you can cut in half if need be) and they are a little pricey but WORTH IT!!! You dry the canker sore and place this patch on your canker sore for about 20-30 seconds till it sticks and it will feel weird in the begining until your silvia moistens it. Once it moistens it the patch will turn clear and gel like and it stays on for 8-10 hours!!!! It protects it from hurting when you eat or even talk and heals it within the intial days. I swear by this and would be miserable without it, its like a bandaid for your mouth for HOURS!!!!
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Charity at 2011-12-09 14:06:00
I have this canker sore on the inside of my lip and it is huge and another one on the bottom of my tongue at the back its ridiculous! i can barely eat or drink without one of them hurting like crap. If ur into herbs and natural remedies my mom is into Nature Sunshine Herbs and there is this stuff called Coloidal Silver and it is Amazing! It completely numbs it and its like a miracle in a bottle. It comes in a liquid and a gel. The gel is the one that works, its quite incredible! Try it!
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-12 19:35:49
I'm currently in pharmacy school and I took an elective on dental medicine and when we got to the canker sore section I was quite shocked. Our teacher who had been a dentist for over 50 years told us that whenever a patient comes in with canker sores he writes them a Rx for Kenalog oral cream which is triamcinolone. This stuff works, and it heals canker sores in 2-5 days as opposed to 10 days with nothing! Ive been using it for the longest time now.
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted by Lori at 2011-12-28 23:30:33
At the first sign of these little buggers I take 2 500 mg L-Lysine, (any drug store, Wal-Mart etc. I have done this for years. It really works and if you take it with the first signs, they will be gone by next day. Really, Don't believe me....Just try it, and best part there is NO PAIN..nothing to swish, rub, or touch. Just water and two pills. Try it what do you have to loose....Oh yeah, that pesty little pain in the mouth. LOL
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Haley at 2012-01-27 12:03:42
I bit my mouth while eating over a week ago and developed a canker sore/ulcer that become more and more painful and swollen as the week went on. It got to the point where it was extremely difficult to talk and eat. After 7 days of trying OTC products and home remedies found online (CankerX, Kanka, baking soda powder, salt water rinses, black tea bags, etc.), I'd had enough and went to war on the thing. What I came up with worked FAST. I did this last night, and this morning the pain is nearly gone and it's finally starting to heal up. You can find these products in two stops - one at a herb shop/natural foods store and a drugstore. Here's what I uysed:
1. Echinacea tea (boosts immunity) - drank one cup
2. Gly-Oxide - an antiseptic oral cleaners found at drugstores (kills the bacteria in the sore) - dropped liquid directly on sore twice
3. Coilloidal Silver - you can find this at most herb shops/GNCs/natural foods grocery stores. It's a liquid that can be used to treat so many things (gum disease, colds, etc.) - sprayed several times directly on sore
4. Borax (found this at the natural foods store - says it's for canker sore/mouth ulcer treatment on the bottle). Dissolved 5 tablets in mouth twice
5. Placed a damp black tea bag on sore and held in mouth for almost an hour
6. Brushed teeth with non-SLS toothpaste (I used Burt's Bees brand)
Sounds like a lot, but trust me IT'S WORTH IT to wake up with much less pain and swelling and finally begin to heal. I'm not sure which of these things worked, but all that matters to me is that it did!
One more thing, AVOID COFFEE AND CITRUS. And DO NOT apply baking soda to the sore, that definitely irritated it even more!
rating: 5 (2 votes)
Submitted by aimee at 2012-01-27 14:20:13
When I get canker sores I normally take a rolaid or a tums, crush it into a paste and apply thickly to the sore. It works for me very well.
rating: 5 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2011-05-29 00:15:53
For quick pain relief and a fast way to get rid of canker sores, apply apple cider vinegar with a q-tip. I also use natural toothpaste and acidophilous to keep canker sores from coming back.
rating: 4 (27 votes)
Submitted at 2009-08-16 10:16:52
CANKER SORE REMEDY
This works. I have suffered all my life from them. Then a friend of mine went to school for nursing and learned a home cure for hand, foot, and mouth. That is when you get sores in your mouth, feet, and hands. Sores in the mouth are the same as canker sores.
So here is what to do ..
50/50 solution of maalox and benadryl. Gargle with this. It not only numbs the pain, but takes them away
rating: 4 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2009-06-12 20:28:14
this might sound weird but use alchaseltzer.It will burn at first but it makes the canker sore go away in minutes or even seconds.
rating: 4 (14 votes)
Submitted by Michael at 2011-04-02 22:15:04
Take a lot of vitamin C. If I get 4,000 mg a day (4 of the big tablets) my canker sores don't come as often, and when they do they are smaller and go away faster, and don't really even bother me. It won't make a difference immediately; it takes a couple weeks to build up in your system. But it's worth the investment, and vitamin C is something your body needs anyway.
rating: 4 (14 votes)
Submitted at 2009-09-27 19:16:02
I think after reading all of these that what works best for Canker sores is just irritating the sore so that it heals itself, honestly. I've tried salt for that purpose and it does the trick. The other one that I didn't see listed here is to take an unlit match and stick it straight on the sore. Just like the others, it burns at first but then goes away. (I bet this is the explanation for the sour apple martini too)
I've also tried lysine and it works too.
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2007-11-25 08:45:39
I suffered from canker sores for years and then switched to a natural toothpaste-Tom's-and now is a canker sore develops it is gone within 24 hours.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Shelly at 2007-02-08 15:13:46
One thing I have found that helps alot: Listerine Mouth Wash. When you FIRST start to get one, when it's really small, rinse your mouth with Listerine for 30-60 seconds 2-3 times a day. It will be extremely painful, but it will make the sore go away, instead of getting bigger. I recently did this with 3 sores that were not THAT tiny anymore, and it worked. I only used the mouthwash for 2 or 3 days. After the first day, the sores didn't hurt much anymore.
Be aware however, that for some people, when the sores get a certian size, there's nothing that will really make them go away any faster.
rating: 4 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2009-03-04 01:26:38
Hi, I am 18 years old. ive been getting canker sores my entire life. Huge ones, sometimes they take weeks to heal. One of the best products i have found is a lozenger called BIONET. Although it says it is for throat pain, it orignially came out as an OTC drug for mouth sores. I suck on it and hold it against my sore for a while. It numbs it and also contains an antiseptic to fight against the bacteria and make it heal. BEST PRODUCT EVER!
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted by Tammie at 2009-07-19 10:25:21
golden seal,wet a q-tip with a little water dip in golden seal power you can open a capsule and use that put on the canker sore, let me warn you though this is not for the faint of heart, it will feel like you just applied acid but don't spit it out, you will start to salivate a lot, the goal here is to keep some of it on the canker sore if you can accomplish this you will be so happy, I can promise you it will deaden the pain almost immediately and if you apply as often as possible it will be gone in 24 hours.
rating: 4 (12 votes)
Submitted by Amanda at 2006-01-16 11:50:37
Gargle with Peroxide!
rating: 4 (19 votes)
Submitted by Dee-Dee at 2010-05-09 13:13:30
We always use a slice of raw potato... just keep it on the sore for as long as you can at least an hour.and the salt and starch in it will help to heal it I suggest do it at least 3 times in a day with also salt water rinse in mouth too..and will be gone in a day or 2....old southern home remedy...
rating: 4 (18 votes)
Submitted by Renee at 2005-11-29 03:46:02
Try Kaopectate to coat and soothe after using an OTC mouth rinse recommended by my son's pediatric dentist called, dang I forget but it's like Pedia something or rather (oral antiseptic rinse) in the dental aisle of the drugstore in a white bottle. The rinse is an antiseptic and comes in a white bottle w/blue lettering and usually on lower shelves and to allow the canker sore heal faster. The Kaopectate will coat the open stinging wound when it acts up.
rating: 4 (17 votes)
Submitted at 2007-01-11 12:23:09
Ginger Altoids seem to help with the pain. Hold it against the sore for a few seconds and then just let it slowly disolve in your mouth.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Nation at 2008-08-26 00:36:08
I was plagued by canker sores since I was a kid, multiple at a time. I even missed work. Then, at the age of 38 I solved the problem. I haven't had one since. Here's how... (BTW: I'm not affiliated with any of the products below, just a guy trying help others)
1. Get the right toothpaste. Jason Seafresh gel (not paste) from Wholefoods. I'm convinced this stuff has the perfect combination of canker fighting ingredients, better than other non-SLS paste.
2. Get in the habit of eating yogurt every day (I hate yogurt and I do it religiously)
3. Eliminate nuts, chocolate, pineapple and coffee (or at least reduce)
4. If you bite your lip when you sleep like I used to, avoid sleeping on your back. I haven't bit my lip since.
if that doesn't dramatically reduce them, get a prescription of Aciphex. It reduces the acidity in your body and they prescribed it for ulcers in my stomach and I'm convince it cured me of stomach and mouth ulcers. I was on it for 3 months.
If you already have a canker sore...
Avoid the Oragel junk, it only dulls the pain and makes it feel like it's coming back worse. Avoid anything made by Colgate and guys that created this problem.
1. Get ORA5 (only avail via web)
a. This is absolutely the best stuff on the market. This stuff cures a sore, big or small.
b. Use twice a day. It will hurt like black death, but I will eliminate the sore in 48 hours. Soak a Q-tip with it, then depress onto the soar for 2 full minutes, no more, no less.
2. To relieve the pain, Canker Care+ is the best stuff I found. It dulls the pain longer and heals too. (I think Wholefoods)
3. Licorice tea is excellent for relieving the pain, especially if the sore is near the throat
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted by R. B. at 2010-01-13 10:52:09
I use yogurt. The active cultures in yogurt helps kill off the actual canker. I just hold it in my mouth for a bit, then swallow. Repeat throughout the day. You have to get the yogurt with the active cultures though, some types do not have them.
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted by Hope at 2010-10-03 17:53:21
B12 deficiency was the problem for me. After visiting multiple doctors, all of which told me to take B12 supplements, one of them finally ran my labs and discovered that I have pernicious anemia and do not absorb B12 through ingestion-food or vitamins/supplements. Instead, I use a nasal spray, specifically Nascobal. I think there are 1 or 2 others on the market. Shots are also an option but since I'm young, my doctor opted for the spray. It's worked for about 1 1/2 years! Just worth mentioning to those of you who seek medical attention for this terrible pain we all have been dealing with. BTW-I have one now because I bit my lip. B12 doesn't make you superman but has gotten rid of the 15+ a month that I used to get.
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2006-07-16 20:27:39
stop drinking milk. i had had at least 4 sores at any given time during every day of my life after the age of three. when i was 14 i realized i was slighty lactose intolerant (i just cant drink milk, but i can have anything else dairy) and the sores went away (as well as bad breath).
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted by ss at 2007-07-19 12:37:00
i've tried almost everything (except the honey one) and nothing helped at all. after the 5th day of agonizing pain, many dollars spent on worthless over the counter medicines and countless hours searching for a remedy on the internet i came upon this. equal parts milk of magnesia and childrens benedryl (sp?) about 1 tablespoon of each. swish around over the sore about 3 times a day. OMG! after the first application, the pain was reduced by 60%. by morning, my 3rd application, the swelling has significantly reduced and the pain is about 80% gone. i can actually run my tongue over the sore without my eyes watering. please be careful though, i made the mistake of swishing the mixture throughout my mouth about 60 seconds and my tongue and cheeks were swollen, numb and dry, i was actually gagging and a little scared thinking maybe this remedy was a bad joke. the second time, i tried to keep the mixture concentrated on the affected area making sure to keep it off my tongue and it worked 100% better. i bet by the end of today i'll be healed :)
rating: 4 (16 votes)
Submitted by gcerrillo at 2011-11-09 00:17:19
I get canker sores all the time... I mentioned it to my dentist and he prescribed me a paste that works wonders I've tried about every remedy and this is the only thing that seem to work faster it's called Triamcinolone Acetonide dental paste USP, 0,1% not do sure what the 1% means maybe a gentler doze because I was expecting at the time so this will work for children as well. Hope my info can be helpful cause those things hurts!
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted by tums at 2007-07-05 04:14:20
Tums seem to feel good when crushed + a lil water then put on the sore worked for me hope this helps
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted by LJ at 2011-07-08 00:03:27
You know that horrible tingly feeling in the corner of your mouth when a sore is starting; And you know that by morning you won't be able to open your mouth without feeling like the corner of your mouth is splitting open??? I have found an unconventional method to stop the sore in its tracks. No matter how odd and disgusting this may sound you need to try it! Go buy an ANTI-FUNGAL cream meant for Athlete's Foot. (The brand I have found to be the most effective is Derman, which has yellow and brown packaging)
Despite the fact that sores of the mouth are rarely due to a fungus, the medicine works wonders. The first day you feel that tingle, apply the cream numerous times and leave it on. Overnight, glob it on really thick. Do this for a few days and you should be able to knock out the sore before it actually gets hold. Another thing is take a cocktail of L-LYSINE and CALCIUM once or twice a day. I personally take 4 Lysine and 3 Calcium the first evening and it boosts my immune system enough to fight back.
rating: 4 (30 votes)
Submitted by larry at 2011-02-26 02:42:58
I've tried most of the treatments and finally found that a 50mg zinc tablet on the sore really works. I had a sore 1/2 inch around for almost a month and nothing worked until the zinc tablet. My lip swelled up and felt like rubber. The next morning no more pain and it actually started to heal. Try it. It's a cheap solution.
rating: 4 (28 votes)
Submitted by Harry Dingey at 2007-12-07 15:06:21
Amalgam mercury fillings can be very dangerous.
My name is Harry Dingey, I am a retired Industrial Engineer from Rockwell International and I moved to the Philippines 5 years ago from the USA. About 20 months ago they did a root-canal, filled my teeth with Amalgam mercury fillings and crowned my two back teeth. Then few months later, I start to get a bald spot on the right side of my tongue.
I did some research on the internet and discovered I had what was called Geographic Tongue. Then about 18 months ago a started getting these recurring canker sores (also called aphthous ulcers), they would never completely heal up and was always located on the exact same location as the Geographic Tongue (bald spot).
I was very concerned to say the least because I never had anything like this in my complete life and I was afraid that if I could not get these canker sores to heal up soon, it could turn into cancer.
So, after consulting with many Medical Doctors and completed a lot of different tests (all tests turned out to be negative). All these Doctors told me they could not find anything medically wrong with me and my tongue would heal up eventually.
I went back to the internet and did some more research and I found that it seemed no one in the Medical Field knew exactly what caused these aphthous ulcers. I really could not believe what I was reading. All the Medical people in the whole world and no one knew exactly what the real cause of these silly little ulcers on the side of my tongue ?
Then after all these months later, I finally came to realized that all my trouble start about 20 months ago, when they did this root-canal, filled my teeth with Amalgam mercury fillings and crowned my two back teeth. These canker sores always appear in the exact same location every time and would never appear any other place in my mouth.
Then finally I realized the reason why no one in the medical field knew the exact cause of my problem. It was because the problem was so big that the American Government ( FDA ) could never order the removal of Amalgam mercury fillings from the market place because it’s been in use for 100 years and was a very cheap filling and almost every person would be suing every Dentist in America, because Amalgam mercury fillings causes many, many different types of health problems. It would cost BIG Business and Insurance companies millions of dollars.
I recently went back to another Dentist and told him that I wanted every tooth pulled that could possibly contain any Amalgam mercury fillings. MY-PROBLEM-IS-NOW-SOLVED.
rating: 4 (32 votes)
Submitted by Mo at 2009-08-10 19:19:18
My canker sores are normally from spicy foods, tomatoes, or orange juice, so stop eating those if it causes it. you can use canker X gel, availible at walmart, rinse out your mouth with salt water, or make a boking soda-water paste and dab it on a few times a day.
rating: 4 (12 votes)
Submitted by Spence at 2010-12-08 18:59:13
Treatment for Canker Sores:
Poor man's Debacterol:
I've never had a canker sore, but my son and wife have suffered with them for years. A few years ago my son (now 20 years old) was treated by his Orthodontist with Debacterol (RX med), and it worked wonders! I'm told the pain is nearly 100% gone in just hours or sometimes minutes. Overnight it becomes obvious that the sore is on it's way to total recovery. Search Debacterol for an explanation for why it works. But apparently the acid sort of cauterizes the nerve endings and stops the inflamation which is why the pain goes away so fast.
So what it Debacterol? It's pretty much just sulfuric acid (battery acid) with a local anesthetic of some sort to numb the tissue as it's being treated.
So once my son was no longer seeing the Orthodontist, he began treating himself by literally dipping a cotton swab into the car battery (pop the cap off) and dabbing it on the sore for a minute or two. He says it hurts like crazy for a few, but then it's over and results for healing are the same as Debacterol.
Spot treat only the affected area being careful not to get acid on healty tissue or your teeth. Treat sores sooner rather than later. And you might even want to have some baking soda in water handy to rinse and neutralize the acid after treatment.
You might also considered using something like Anbesol to numb the area before treatment. But if you're tough, then man up and go for it. I'm told it's totally worth the few minutes of pain to have the sore over and done with. My wife now treats this way too.
The last time we had a car battery die, I siphoned off some of the acid and put it in a plastic bottle so they no longer have to dip in under the car hood. An ounce or two is probably a lifetime supply.
rating: 4 (41 votes)
Submitted by Ashley at 2011-11-18 14:28:39
I seen on here to take a q-tip and dip it in mouth wash n put it on the canker sore for like a minute. It will burn for a little but the pain goes away. i could hardly eat or drink from a cup and now i feel like i don't even have one anymore. I used the green listerine! I did it twice one right after the other and my mouth feels 100% better
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Rennie at 2007-12-13 12:50:59
This is going to sound a bit weird but a few months ago i started getting canker sores, nasty. I could not figure out why. Then a light bulb went off. I usually drink at least one bottle of coke a day...I had stopped (can't remember why) As soon as i started drinking coke again the sores didn't go away, but there was no pain. It must have something to do with the acid in the coke killing the bacteria in the canker sore, it is the bacteria that cause the pain, not the sore. I know it sounds nuts but it works for me, let me know if it works for u.
rating: 4 (23 votes)
Submitted by myla at 2010-04-08 16:32:47
Debactoral is like a miracle for most sores. I've had virulent sores for the last 3 years - this medicine actually sloughs off the outer layer of skin and takes away the pain completely. Prescription only. Also Aphthasol by script. Kanka, an over the counter medicine, is absolutely the best thing ever for the pain. Its 20% benzocaine and is amazing. For those sores that won't go away, I highly recommend you go to your doc and get pain pills, like Norco. I get these sores for weeks and weeks on end and I have yet to find anything that will completely cure them.
rating: 4 (22 votes)
Submitted at 2007-02-05 15:05:11
use the throat spray provided by a drug store or you can gargle in salt water and when eating cover the infected area. so it doesnt get infected
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Mel at 2011-01-05 17:03:14
ok, well the best suppliment for canker sores and prefenting them, is
L-lisine. You take it, and in less than 2 days any canker sore will be gone. And if you keep taking it you wont get anymore. Also, dont eat sweets when you have a canker sore. You can put salt on it too. It stings, but it helps. If you have braces, use dental wax so that nothing scratches you cancer sour and makes it worse.
rating: 4 (16 votes)
Submitted by Kelsie Myers at 2011-02-19 21:19:30
Okay so I'm 12 years old and I've always had these huge cold sores they would have a huge puffy pus filled sore with tiny sores around it that hurt to the touch... well my sores cover half my lip they spread to the inside of my mouth and too the outer most skin and swell up to the point where I look like a brats doll I found that icing it reduces the swelling getting a wet hot rag helps suck the pus out because it soaks it and then evaporates out then get lip gloss keep it covered air doesn't help when air reaches it the bactria can grow and spread so these things help me
rating: 3 (18 votes)
Submitted at 2009-09-18 02:56:57
Try Tums or other antacid when you notice an irritation in your mouth. This generally works for me to stop one from forming. I get them from tomatoes or other acidic foods. Some brands of coffee or citris.
rating: 3 (14 votes)
Submitted by linda at 2011-03-24 15:13:18
i used to suffer from them too am my grandma used to use cream of tarter just wet a qtip dab it in and apply tastes bad but makes sores heal fast twice a day for 2 days poof gone i use it on my son now
rating: 3 (17 votes)
Submitted by Brandon at 2009-06-30 22:11:05
Put hydrogen peroxide on the sore. Within a few minutes the pain is gone for good.
rating: 3 (16 votes)
Submitted at 2011-02-25 17:16:39
this sounds crazy...but if you chew tobacco you know its not. a little pinch of chewing tobacco will heal just about any kind of mouth sore. if you dont chew...camel and marlboro make spitless chewing pouches called snus that dont make you sick. it works for me every time i get a canker sore, in less then 24 hours its completely gone. the tobacco kills the bacteria in the sore instantly.
rating: 3 (32 votes)
Submitted by Henry at 2010-06-12 02:17:26
OK I just did this and it works I had a canker sore on my bottom lip, and I have heard if you put an aspirin non jel pill on the sore for a few seconds it will take the pain away, I used a Hydrocodone 750 MG Tabs one that was broke in half, held it on the canker sore and after a few seconds the pain was gone. I get sores from orange juice and spicy food, hot sauces.
rating: 3 (19 votes)
Submitted at 2011-02-15 20:45:15
Try it at least once ..i does work...it seems alittle gross but id do anything when a canker causes me pain and hurts to eat...
put your finger in your ear and rub around ...drying your tongue were the canker is rub the waxy finger right on it.....you can leave your tongue out for a bit...its your own body fluid which helps make it easier to do...i bet you it will be gone by morning (do it before bed) something in your ear wax kills the canker
rating: 3 (38 votes)
Submitted at 2007-05-22 23:36:49
Apply a powder denture adhesive (Fixodent powder) to the canker soar. It coats the soar so you can go on about your day.
rating: 3 (4 votes)
Submitted by Bethany at 2009-04-11 11:17:48
I get canker sores from time to time, and my mom told me to try pineapple juice. I thought it was crazy, but I had nothing to lose so I tried it. It stung really badly, but it worked! The sore was gone the next morning.
rating: 2 (12 votes)
Copyright © 2003-2004 - Webmaster