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.
Unlit Match
Posted by Dee (Chicago, IL) on 04/28/2008
★★★★★
Holding an unlit matchhead directly onto the white center of the canker sore always helps to take the pain out and heal the sore more quickly. The white material is actually absorbed by the matchhead. It stings very badly, but I hold it on as long as I can stand it, then repeat 3 or 4 times. This has something to do with the sulfur in the matches, so make sure not to get the new kind that are sulfur-free.
Silver Nitrate Sticks
Posted by Mary (Houston, Texas) on 04/25/2008
★★★★★
When I underwent chemotherapy, I would also get mouth ulcers. The doctor gave me a prescription for a mouthwash, but it was useless. Rather than suffer for days with mouth ulcers, I decided to cauterize them using silver nitrate sticks. Yes, this is painful but only for seconds as compared to 10 days of daily suffering with mouth ulcers.
Avoid Hot Dogs
Posted by Jesse (Wasilla, Alaska) on 03/27/2007
★★★★★
I am currently trying ACV remedy for my canker sore. I only have one small canker sore right now. However, over a year ago I had a bad outbreak with one canker sore the size of a dime was literally eating through my cheek. I tried everything and it took over a months to heal. My glands were swollen and I considered seeing a physician.
One thing I have noticed however, is that my outbreaks usually accurr after eating too many hot dogs(2 a day or more for a 2-4 day period). This outbreak is no different, I ate a few hot dogs a few days in a row and here comes a canker sore. However, When I had my horrible outbreak over a year ago, I was living in North Carolina and didn't have much food to eat. My diet consisted of 5 hot dogs a day and I had my worse outbreak then. Perhaps there is something contained in hot dogs that could cause this. I'm going to research hot dogs and check it out. I've also noticed that eating brocoli can sometimes cure a canker sore in just days.
Avoid All Products With Citric Acid
Posted by Jon (Defiance, OH) on 03/03/2007
★★★★★
I don't see how Apple Cider would help canker sores, because it is acidic. What I do is I watch how much citric acid I take in. Soda is terrible! It has a very high concentration of citric acid! Milk Chocolate contains it, from what I hear, though they are not required to list it in the ingredients. I have noticed that I get them after eating chocolate, but I have to eat quite a bit of chocolate to get a sore. I have dealt with the pain of canker sores since I was a kid, often times having one right after another. I used to carry around medicines such as Kanka, only to find the stuff made them worse or made them last longer. Come to find out, I was putting citric acid directly on the sore, as many of these medications contain it! So I started with eliminating soda (I was hooked on diet pepsi at work). Bingo! I drastically reduced the number of canker sores I was getting. Next, I started watching what I was eating. I noticed that anything with citric acid in it would give me the beginnings of a canker sore within an HOUR after eating or drinking it. Then I applied some common sense to the situation, and remembered that an old cure for stomach indigestion and acid reflux was baking soda. So, whenever I eat something or drink something with citric acid in it, I immediately rinse my mouth with a mixture of baking soda and water (look on the box or on the arm and hammer website for their recommendation for using it as a mouth wash). I think the answer to canker sores is prevention, not curing it once it's in your mouth. Once it's there, you basically have to wait it out. I still get them, but only once in awhile now instead of all the time...However, when I do get one, it's my own fault now!
Wasabi
Posted by Paul (Mountain View, CA) on 02/06/2007
★★★★★
After years of suffering from painful mouth ulcers (Canker sores) and trying several unsuccessful natural cures, wasabi did the trick. I stumbled on this cure accidentally, but have used it successfully for the last 2 years. At the first sign of sores, I eat wasabi chips or wasabi peas and the development of the ulcers are arrested and they are completely gone in 12-36 hours. Usually just a handful of chips a couple of times a day does the trick. I have also tried wasabi mayonnaise and straight wasabi. They do work well; but the combination of the wasabi and salt in the chips and peas seems to work best. I know it sounds crazy, but try it! Just make sure the wasabi comes in contact with affected area for a minute or two. What used to cause 7-10 days of agony on a regular basis, is now barely a ripple in my life. I don't know if it will work for all types of mouth ulcers, but it worked for mine.
Avoid Milk
Posted by Win (Gainesville, FL) on 01/31/2007
★★★★★
Avoiding milk and milk products cured my canker sores. Both my mother and I suffered from sores in our mouths and we had tried many different remedies hoping to prevent them. Mom discovered that if she reduced her milk intake, she got fewer sores. Now, we both drink only soy milk and have been canker-free for years. Soy ice creams are getting better and better, too. I occasionally have some regular cheese and this doesn't seem to cause any problems. Cheese made from soy is still pretty awful.
Oral Care
Posted by Catherine (Corona, CA) on 12/27/2006
★★★★★
I've had a lot of success with rotating toothbrushes. Make sure you have at least four toothbrushes and when you have canker sores brush your teeth four times a day, but never use a toothbrush more than once in 24 hours. This worked very well for me for about ten years.
Baking Soda
Posted by John (Harfod, WI) on 12/01/2006
★★★★★
Whenever I get a canker sore, I pack some baking soda on it. If it does not go away in an hour or two, I re-apply it when I notice the sore still there. Some times it takes a few more aps.Usually, gone the same day. Sometimes, i'll pack the soda on right before bed. no canker in the morning. It works every time for me. A final note: It does sting for about a minute when applied. The stinging stops, even though the baking soda is still packed on the sore. Good luck, hope it works for you too.
Comfrey Tea
Posted by Doss (Denver, CO) on 09/16/2006
★★★★★
My midwife suggested this after a tooth extraction.
Us Irish have different blood/body chemistry. Many of us are allergic/sensitive to foods high in vitamin C, like tomatoes and oranges. These things CAUSE canker sores for us, believe it or not. I have a lot of irish blood, and I recently got my tooth pulled. I have stitches in my mouth, and here is what works for relieving the pain:
fresh comfrey tea leaves put in a small tea bag, put tea bag in warm water (about 1/4 cup) until a tea forms. Rub the tea bag until the outside kind of feels slippery or oily, similar to aloe vera. Hold the tea bag over the sore.
Hold until pain subsides, or bite down on bag instead of gauze as dentist suggests after extraction. Research Comfrey Root and leaves for more information on uses.
Also drink Throat Coat tea (gypsy cold cure in your grocery store aisle) with black licorice in it for swelling, and rinse mouth with Tom's baking soda and witch hazel mouthwash to keep wounds bacteria free. Follow with a tepid salt water gargle and gentle spit.
This is a good "Ora-gel" for very sensitive skin/people. It won't work for people who have a high tolerence to over the counter drugs. Less Sensitive individuals would need aloe mixed with Ora-gel, and to go the gargle with Green Tea/Orange Juice route.
Pau D'arco
Posted by Susan (USA)
★★★★★
Pau d'Arco brings canker sore relief. Use as a poultice on the site of the sore. Pau d'Arco is an astringent and soothes the sore so that eating is a little more bearable. L-Lysine does work wonders too. Try the Pau d' Arco as a poultice on the site of the sore for a bit of relief before eating.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Celia (Toronto, Ontario Canada) on 09/09/2006
★★★★★
I'm a dental hygiene student, and one of my instructors told me to try putting black strap molasses directly on my canker sores (i get them all the time! grrr!). I tried it last night and today they're nearly gone! it's a miracle cure, and I can't believe how well it worked! You've gotta try it!
Green Tea
Posted by Mike (Gainesville, FL) on 07/16/2006
★★★★★
I noticed my relatively new habit of drinking green tea is drastically affecting the frequency at which canker sores appear in my mouth. They now seem to form only in the upper part of my mouth. Swishing tea on the sore greatly reduces the time it takes (24-36 hours) for it to heal. It's amazing to find this out after years of dealing with them.
Yerba Buena
Posted by Monica (Norwalk, CA) on 05/31/2006
★★★★★
When I get a canker sore, I chew yerba buena (mint leaf) with salt and leave it pressed up against the canker sore. Hurts like a mother, but I notice a difference.
Toothpaste Without Sls
Posted by Anonymous (USA) on 11/27/2006
★★★★★
I have had really bad canker sores my entire life. None of the ideas listed here ever worked for me and all of the over the counter meds that you get only made the duration of the sore longer. The ONLY thing that helps me is toothpaste without Sodium Laurel Solphate (sls) - ____. The toothpaste is the best. I also got a paste from my doctor that lessens the severity and the duration.
Toothpaste Without Sls
Posted by Marta (Livermore, CA) on 10/03/2006
★★★★★
First, I use a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulfate , second I use Clobetasol propionate ointment 0.05% this is by prescription only. This cures canker sores in their tracks. Twice a day usually for only two days and they are gone. I use a q tip for application.
