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ACV for Canker Sores: Effective, Easy Home Remedy

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Posted by Will (Shelton, WA) on 10/18/2007
 ★★★★★

Another YES for apple cider vinegar. It cured my canker sore in one day. I put unpasteurized ACV in an eye dropper and applied it directly to the sore on my inner lip frequently throughout the day. Whatever microbe that causes cankers does not seem to be able to live in the presence of ACV. I think the trick is not to go to long between applications. To bad they don't teach this to the drug pushers.

Replied by Lmrappard
(Wichita, Ks)
07/29/2012

I'm glad that the drug companies don't push ACV because it would cost $80 per bottle.

Replied by Pinklantana
(Weatherford, Tx)
11/07/2012
★☆☆☆☆

My daughter gets canker sores anytime she bite her mouth eating or what ever. I tried the ACV due to all the reviews but it made it much worse. We dipped a q-tip in ACV and placed it on the ulcer, it then bled and the ulcer lasted longer and was worse than normal. I think ACV is great for alot of things and thats why we tried this remedy but it didn't work for us in this case.

Replied by Lelani
(Sacramento, CA)
08/07/2022

Maybe for those that the ACV worked or didn't work was due to the type of ACV used. It just seems so odd that it worked really well and on some it was terrible. Just food for thought (pun intended)

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Stacy (Akron, Ohio) on 09/01/2007
 ★★★★★

ACV cured my sons canker sore. My son had a canker sore and it hurt him daily as he tried to chew food. He didn't even want me to look at it because it hurt him so much. I came to your site to see what remedies were suggested. ACV was at the top of the list and since we have the _____ brad here at home, i used a spray bottle once i read the reviews. He didn't like the sour taste, but the next day he had RELIEF. I sprayed twice the following day when he rose in the morning and before bed at night. Within 4 days it was gone and not returned. I spray ACV in his mouth once a week to keep the canker sores away. IT REALLY WORKS!!!! He wanted me to write so that other kids could get help. Thank you earth clinic

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Natalie (Savannah, Georgia) on 07/24/2007
 ★★★★★

I just want to say that I had 4 canker sores in my mouth due to having a wisdom tooth extracted. I was in so much pain and the Zilactin-B I used made the problem even worse. I saw this website and went right out and bought the ACV. I used it twice within an hour and now it doesn't hurt and I only have one sore left!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Josh (chicago, illinois) on 07/23/2007
 ★★★★★

This website is great! I went to google looking for a cure to my nonstop reoccurring canker sores and i found this site that recommended Apple Cider Vinegar so i went out and bought it and after a few treatments of the q-tip they were cured. I just want to say thanks again for finally giving me a way to cure my canker sores. I will be recommending this site to everyone

Replied by Cselestyna
(Calgary, Alberta)
07/13/2010
★☆☆☆☆

Okay so I have the hugest canker sore between my gums and cheek... I love acv for everything. But when I tried this tip last night my mouth was in so much pain I couldn't sleep! I felt the pain right down to the root of my teeth, even my hair hurt. Finally I had to rinse my mouth with warm salt water. So if this works for you then great but personally it was NOT a good experience. However I will continue to take it for other things.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Fritz (Downers Grove, Illinois) on 06/16/2007
 ★★★★★

First, I want to say that ACV worked like a charm on my recurrent mouth cankers, and using a toothpaste w/out SLS keeps most from recurring. Second, I want to address Ted in Mt. Horeb, Wisc and his Nay vote on ACV: I too had what Ted talks about, but it turned out to be a tumor, which eventually turned cancerous. He may want to keep an eye on that mouth sore.

Replied by Kkenn
(Detroit, Mi)
01/27/2013
★☆☆☆☆

Putting apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar on a canker sore will only make it worse. Apple cider is very acidic, and acid makes the sores worse. You should avoid orange juice, tomatoes, vinegar, etc.

Replied by Phoenix
(San Fran)
12/31/2016

Vinegar contains malic and acetic acid, but causes an alkaline response in the body. You need to dilute it before applying.

Do some research please before spreading untrue recommendations. I have cured many conditions using apple cider vinegar, but you need to use care and use quality vinegar that has "the mother" (culture) in it.

Read the other posts about cures. Maybe you had something other than a canker sore? Proper diagnosis is important to proper application of cure.

Be well.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Tessa (lake havasu, arizona) on 06/13/2007
 ★★★★★

i tried the apple cider vinegar thing and VWALLA!! worked like a flippin charm. no more pain and sores..i totally recommend this shizz.

Replied by Evan
(Nyc, US)
04/13/2014
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

I am prone to canker sores when under lots of stress. While recovering from my first bad illness in 4 years (I almost never get sick) I developed several nasty canker sores in my mouth. I saw that many people had success with ACV, applying it with q-tips and cotton balls. Since I had 4-5 canker sores and was impatient, I decided to just gargle with ACV for about 3 minutes, thinking that would be more effective. Well, the canker sores certainly got better, but the prolonged exposure to ACV burned my tongue and every surface of my mouth. Now it's the day after and I can barely taste anything, eating is an unpleasant chore and anything acidic or spicy is quite painful. When not eating, the inside of my mouth feels like it was soaked in tannins, which is also really unpleasant. So, if you're going to use ACV for canker sores, be smart and apply it ONLY to the sore as it will burn your healthy mouth tissue.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Angie (colorado springs, co) on 06/02/2007
 ★★★★★

I am so glad I found this site! I had a terrible canker sore on the side of my tongue that kept hitting my molars, could barely eat or talk it hurt. I put _____'s apple cider vinegar on a qtip and held it on the sore for about 1 minute and then repeated twice and then again before bed. I did this 2 days in a row and it is now gone. I felt immediate relief and I could see it healing right away - it only took 2 days to heal and it has taken over a week before. Thanks for this article!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kelisha (Greensboro, NC) on 05/03/2007
 ★★★★★

I had a terrible canker sore and used so many over the counter medicines. I found this article and tried the vinegar. It DOES work.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ashley (Easton, PA) on 05/01/2007
 ★★★★★

i am 15yrs old and i have about 5 canker sores in my mouth.(a resonse to nay:i don't smoke.) after putting some ACV in my mouth it did help a little, but it hurt! thanks!!!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Todd (Long Beach, CA) on 03/31/2007
 ★★★★★

I've been suffering from a tough and very painful sore for over a week. It made me irritable because I couldn't eat, sleep, talk or even smile. I tried Hydrogen Peroxide, Zilactin-B (made it worst to me), wet tea bag to no avail. What worked? Holding my head to let a tablespoon of ACV sit on the sore for about 30 seconds, spit then repeat. The healing began immediately. It is amazing and I'm a happy person again!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Devon (Sandy, UT) on 03/10/2007
 ★★★★★

I'm a big believer! I couldn't sleep one night because the pain of the canker sore was just too much! So...I got online and sure enough found another reason why apple cider vinegar is so awesome! I used a Q-tip to dab some of the ACV onto the sore spot and then went back to bed. By morning...VIOLA! The pain was gone. I could see that the sore was still there but that the healing process had already begun. AWESOME! I will be recommending this site to everyone! Thanks EARTHCLINIC!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Richard (St Louis, MO) on 01/26/2007
 ★★★★★

I used the cider vinegar, and it worked! It tasted and burned really bad, but literally took 2 seconds to stop hurting! .....P.S. Don't listen to any nays, it works great! to answer that one dude's question, i don't smoke anything.

Replied by Chriswar666
(Rio De Janeiro, Brasil)
01/27/2010

Contrary to this person's advice, you -should- read -all- information that's here. Why? ACV can cure your ulcer if it's an infection; if not, the acid'll make it worse. Try it, but take care :)

Replied by Sheera
(Cary, North Carolina)
03/16/2012

So, I've tried the salt water rinses, the peroxide rinses, and I've also tried the baking soda paste applied directly to the canker. Despite my efforts I'm currently going on day 5 of my (first ever) canker sore, and I'm a little sad to report that it's only continued to get bigger and bigger with each passing day. I decided, tonight, to try the organic unpasteurized ACV on a Q-tip, since I've had good results with ACV for other ailments (colds, allergies, acidity/candida overgrowth) in the past. However, when I put the ACV on the Q-tip and applied it to the sore, it just began bleeding all over the Q-tip. I've done it twice and both times it's bled. I mean, it definitely FEELS better, but I'm just a little worried about the bleeding, since it hasn't bled during the entire 5 day run, up until the ACV. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this side effect, or should I be concerned? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Good Luck to everyone in your search for natural cures. I hope you feel better soon!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Maria (Bristol, England) on 01/22/2007
 ★★★★★

I tried ACV several times on the ulcers I get very often in my mouth and it never fails. It is amazing. However, I would like to know where I can find the raw organic ACV in the UK. Does anyone know?

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Philip (Mt. Horeb, WI) on 09/05/2006
 ★☆☆☆☆

I don't know what you people are smoking, but Apple Cider Vinegar doesn't heal canker sores at all, it hurts to use it at first and the relief is only temporary. I actually started to get more Canker Sores from using it. Why do you think an acid is going to help when eating acidic foods is one of the causes?

Replied by Mary
(Volcano, HI)
07/19/2008
★☆☆☆☆

I tried acv on 3 small canker sores which weren't too painful but bothered me most in the evening. The next morning I got up and they were all bigger and hurt like crazy all day. The acv definately made them worse.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jessica (Anchorage, AK) on 08/27/2006
 ★★★★★

A little different (and more appetizing) then apple cider vinegar, I've found that drinking warm apple cider completely takes away the pain from my canker sore for a good amount of time.


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