Natural Canker Sore Remedies: Quick Relief & Healing

Cloves

Posted by sylvain (Quebec) on 10/13/2023
★★★★★

For canker sore pain,

try a Qtip with clove oil, I can vouch that it will numb the pain for about an hour, that is the only thing I have found that helps at least temporarily.

Lavender Oil

Posted by Jean (Wheeling, iL) on 02/29/2020
★★★★★

Lavender essential oil will heal both canker and cold sores. I put some on my finger and apply 3 or 4 times a day. Works in no time.

Baking Soda

Posted by David (Hong Kong ) on 04/01/2018
★★★★☆

Thanks for those sharing about the baking soda remedy, I have been bothered with several canker sore in my mouth and cheeks in the last few days and they were very painful and have lost my appetite in eating. After trying a few solutions, they didn't really work for me and out of desperation, I applied some baking soda paste over the sores last night, while they haven't gone away, it did reduce the level of pain and hopefully they wil go away soon. Big thanks for sharing!

Oil Pulling

Posted by Arnezi (Spokane, Wa ) on 05/27/2016
★★★★★

I get huge canker sores that are extremely painful sometimes, and this last one I swished coconut oil 1 tablespoon with 1 drop of oregano essential oil for 10 minutes in my mouth and then spit it in the trash. The pain was gone. I did this 2x a day for 2 days and it was gone. I was so happy I found something that worked.

Salt

Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 10/11/2015
★★★★★

Just tried the salt-on-canker-sores. I had read that it is to be put on every 15 minutes.

So I dabbed a bit of Celtic Salt on it every 15 minutes, for as long as I could stand (about 10 seconds) before rinsing my mouth . At the hour and a quarter point, meaning 5 applications, the skin there started feeling a bit rough, so I stopped, and now it feels much better!

Camphor Spirit

Posted by Jan (Ft Lauderdale, Fl) on 04/08/2015
★★★★★

For canker sores, I use spirit of camphor dabbed on a q-tip and placed on the sore. It heals within a few days and takes away the pain. Also organic raw honey placed on the sore, and it is gone the next day or two.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Holly (St. Louis, MO) on 08/21/2014
★★★★★

While out camping with my family I developed two huge canker sores along my upper gums. It hurt to eat, drink and talk.There were no stores around so we only had what we packed... thank goodness I had some coconut oil on hand (I packed it to help ease sunburns and also as the oil to pop our popcorn-yum! ).

I used my finger and dabbed a small amount on both sores, right before bed. The next morning, the pain was nearly gone. So after brushing my teeth I applied it again and, though the sores didn't disappear immediately, the pain was gone by lunchtime.

I am a huge believer in the benefits of coconut oil (organic, unrefined, cold pressed only! ) and always have a small bottle on hand. This is just another fantastic cure from an amazing oil.

Sage

Posted by Tim (Georgia (Republic of)) on 03/30/2014 21 posts
★★★★★

Hi, from Georgia (Rep. of).

Here is the best and only remedy for canker sores in your mouth - dry Sage leaves. Chew just a few of them each time and all day long if you like and all year long if you like with no side effects. Don't use a dried stem of Sage to avoid scratches that can worsen situation and prolonged healing. You WILL get rid of canker sores from a few hours to several days in severe cases. Repeat treatment if any. Good luck!

Baking Soda

Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 06/02/2013

Jj, to immediately reduce/eliminate pain from a canker sore, coating it with Coconut Oil, helps for me. I don't know if it cures it, but it's calming action is instant for me!

Oil Pulling

Posted by Eileen (Exton, Pa, Usa) on 05/03/2012
★★★★★

Yesterday I awoke to a painful bump on the inside of my right cheek. It felt like a pimple/ulcer and I knew this could get worse. So, I remember when I had a small white painful bump on my tongue a while back I tried oil pulling which healed it overnight. Why not for the inside of my mouth?! I used olive oil, swished for 20 minutes, rinsed w/ the warm salt water solution and I kid you not, when I went to feel the bump with my tongue, it was gone--and so was the pain--that instantly! (I actually could feel the pain subsiding as I was swishing. ) Oil pulling is now my go-to for ANYTHING concerning the mouth!! :)

Gluten-Free Diet

Posted by Jon (Defiance, Oh) on 10/06/2011
★★★★★

For years I suffered from canker sores, joint pain, sudden weakness, sharp pains throughout my body, and acid reflux. When the stomach cramps set in, that was the red flag: I was gluten intolerant. For those of you suffering from chronic canker sores, it is a food allergy and one of the symptoms of gluten intolerance. As damage occurs to your intestines, your ability to absorb certain vitamins (like vitamin B) can cause your immune system to attack the inside of your mouth because it responds to certain substances that may be left behind after eating.

For me, the trigger was citric acid, but the primary cause was gluten. Now I don't get canker sores unless I eat something with gluten in it. I can even have drinks and foods with citric acid in it and not get them if I'm avoiding gluten. If you are only getting them infrequently then I would suspect that you are just low in vitamin B, but for those of you getting this painful mouth ulcer regularly, you might want to get tested for gluten intolerance. Just thought I'd put in my experiences and two-cents since I see so many myths circulating around about canker sores since there is no definite answer on what causes them.

Oil Pulling

Posted by Jon (Pueblo, Co) on 03/12/2011
★★★★★

I am a 69 year old male, and have suffered most of my life with canker sores. I've treated them with many things, including alum... "ouch!!! " and H2O2, but found relief using echineasa / golden seal in a liquid herbal solution, applied with a cotton swab.

AND the BEST solution: oil pulling! I have been using this technique once daily now for well over a year, for the general health benefits. OP leaves your mouth clean and promotes rapid healing after "biting your cheek" or upon noticing a canker sore coming on. When I think I have a canker starting, I will add a session of OP. I think that I have only had one canker sore this past year that lingered past two or three days. I recommend using either sunflower oil or virgin coconut oil, available at natural grocers or health food stores.

Water Pulling

Posted by Msg (Somewhere, Europe) on 03/20/2010
★★★★★

i tried oil pulling with water instead of oil. i have been having recurrent canker sores for the past 3 years. after a week of "water pulling" they are greatly reduced. i spit out the water when it gets too much volume, and just continue with new water. i drink after cleaning my mouth when i'm done pulling.

Manuka Honey

Posted by Corinna (London, Kent, England) on 02/05/2010
★★★★★

I sometimes get very painful mouth ulcers. I simply put a bit of manuka honey on it and they disappear within a day or two.

Goldenseal

Posted by Sarah (Vancouver, BC) on 07/14/2009
★★★★★

I read a LOT of the suggestions to get rid of canker sores as I get them every once in a while and they are awful. I agree that bacterial cultures and oil pulling can keep the mouth in a healthier state on a daily basis...but a remedy I didn't see anywhere is goldenseal. It can be found at any health food store and sometimes is combined with echinacea. Now this is a natural remedy that should be used sparingly as it could one day be unavailable because of overharvesting... It can be taken in pill form or tincture to boost the immune system in times when it is low but in the case of cankers, using the pill form and opening one of the capsules up and carefully putting the powder on the canker works amazingly to kill the infection. I tried using the tincture and rinsing with it and it just turned my mouth and teeth bright yellow....not cool! so get the pill form for sure... Hope this helps others in pain from those nasty canker sores!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Randomhelpguy (Colorado) on 03/22/2014
★★★★★

Take an ice cube with frost still on it over the canker sore and it will rip off the white part, and numb it at the same time. Then take hydrogen peroxide and hold it on the sore mixed with Apple Cider vinegar for up a minute or two. This will sting like a bitch. After all this take a Q tip and activated charcoal and scrape the crater from the former sore. Then take just the charcoal and make a paste and leave it for a few minutes. Problem solved overnight or at least smaller. Or alternatively you could use alum which also burns like hell.

Tea Bags

Posted by Craig (PORTLAND, OR) on 12/09/2008
★★★★★

Has anyone ever heard of using tea leaves to resolve a canker sore? I have tried it in the past and it has worked and I was wondering if anyone else had used this technique.