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.
Probiotics
Posted by Adam (Chicago, Il) on 05/20/2009
★★★★★
I use probiotics 2 capsules a day to control canker sores. I used to get them from eating any kind of nuts or bread/pastry with nuts. For 2 months now I have been eating the nuts without the canker sores.
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!
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!
Salt
Posted by Sherry (Saginaw, Mich.) on 02/11/2009
★★★★★
I'm subject to ulcers on the roof of my mouth. I try to avoid prescription meds. I recently discovered that swishing warm salt water in my mouth after brushing was very effective. Bananas are quite effective too. Recently, my gums and roof of my mouth both hurt horribly! Out came the salt water. I'd also read in "You, the owner's manual,"that taking 81mg. baby aspirin is extremely helpful. The problem is nearly gone, and I'm sleeping better, too! I can't ask for more!
Replied by Grace
(Hardy, Va)
01/19/2016
Salt
Posted by Morgan (Dekalb, Illinois USA) on 11/02/2008
★★★★★
Yes, salt does work....but it hurts like crazy!!!! I get canker sours DAILY.. i try numming it but that doesnt make it go away....salt does...i would not put on a small childs canker though......as i said before..it hurts! i have not tryed baking soda..i will and then i will see if it works! :):)
Salt
Posted by Alexis Carlino (Conway, South Carolina) on 12/20/2007
★★★★★
I occasionally get canker sores every now and then. One day about 6 years ago I asked my grandmother, "grandma do you know how to get rid of a canker sore?!" She told me to either gargle some salt water or dab a little bit of salt directly on the sore. Of course it will burn and sting enough to make you want to possibly just bite your tounge, but after a minute or two the pain from the salt and canker sore subsides. Keep applying the salt each time the pain may come back, and soon enough your canker sore will be gone.
Salt
Posted by Carlie (Dallas, TX) on 11/23/2006
★★★★★
I think that if you put on enough salt at night, by the morning it should be gone. I use sea salt though!:-) if you use table salt it might be different.
Salt
Posted by Bea (Philippines) on 11/10/2006
★★★★★
I had several canker sores on my tongue and cheeks which made eating difficult. It was painful! I tried the salt-water remedy and in 3 days, the sores are gone! Thanks
Salt
Posted by Al (Staples, MN) on 01/07/2006
★★★★★
two words: salt water! Don't believe me, try it
Salt
Posted by Jorge (Altoona, IA) on 10/13/2005
★★★★★
What you do is get a cotton swab with salt it won't cure it for a while but it will make it stop hurting. Also you can light up a match, blow it out and then put it on your canker sore and it will be gone in one to two days.
Silver Nitrate Sticks
Posted by Chelsea (Bloomington, IN) on 08/23/2008
★★★★★
I work in a dentist office and whenever I get a horrible canker sore I use Silver Nitrate Sticks. It burns for a little bit but then forms a wet scab over the area. I asked one of the Dentist at the office I work in why this works; and he said he had heard at in a CE class that it's because the canker sore is cause by a virus and the body does not heal the virus it just runs its course, so the Silver Nitrate injures the area, causing the body to heal itself. Although it stings and makes your mouth taste a little like an ashtray for about five minutes, it's totally worth it.
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.
Slippery Elm Lozenges
Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 01/26/2022
★★★★★
I bit my cheek and ended up with a terrible mouth sore on the inside of my cheek. The inflammation made it so I kept biting it, too. Even the lymph node on that side of my neck was swelling.
I found a recipe for Slippery Elm Lozenges and modified it. (They are typically used for coughing or sore throats.)
- 1/2 cup slippery elm bark powder (I get mine from Frontier or Mountain Rose Herbs - it is a wonderful herb to keep on hand.)
- 4-6 Tablespoons raw honey
- 1 teaspoon ground clove powder
I mixed the slippery elm bark powder and the clove powder together. Then I added in the honey until and mixed until it made a dough. It reminded me a lot of gingerbread dough.
I used a dough scraper to divide it up into about 4 dozen little pieces. I rolled each on and put it on wax paper in a small container. Should be good for a week or so. (Could be frozen if need be to keep them longer.)
These would be great to suck on for cough or sore throat. The slippery elm is soothing to mucous membranes. The clove is antiseptic and relieves pain by numbing the area. The honey is also antiseptic.
For mouth sore, I placed the little ball/lozenge against it. It sort of softened and molded to my teeth somewhat. (I suspect this would be a good remedy for tooth pain, too.) If I left it alone it stayed for hours. I even kept it in overnight.
My one concern has been holding a sugar in my mouth that long. Interestingly, even though I have done this all day and have not brushed my teeth in hours, my teeth don't feel like I have been eating sugar. (If I eat sugar my teeth start to feel fuzzy after a while.)
My mouth sore is much less painful today. I will be making these again for different things in the future.
~Mama to Many~
Supplements
Posted by Connie (Slc, Utah, Usa) on 12/12/2011
★★★★★
Hi All ; It's been a 45 yr. search for me. I hope to shorten your suffering. I'll just give you the answer first, or the one that worked for me. Folate/Folic Acid. I need extra, more than the RDA of 400 mcg. , I need 800 mcg. daily in a supplement.
Canker sores are a common sign of B12 deficiency, so that's another supplement to consider, especially when one takes Folate, because they are interdependent. Sublinguals are easier for the body to use than oral types. I take large quantities, but I believe most people may need less. Supplements work best when we find our own numbers. My guess is that most people will respond to 500-1000 mcg. daily.
Zinc is another supplement that is suggested for canker sores. The RDA is approx. 15 mg. Daily. When I look at the zinc content of foods, it seems difficult to consume that amount, so I supplement with it, 15mg. 2-3 times weekly. But I'm considering a test just to see if I'm in the range somewhere.
Folate may also help with other lesions/ulcerations along the GI tract, I've read.
I wish I could give this information to my 10 yr. old self, when I lay crumpled on the bathroom floor with a stick of silver nitrate that only made the pain worse....
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.
