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.
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!! :)
Cayenne
Posted by Gavin (Manganui, Northland, New Zealand) on 01/17/2012
★★★★★
I think cayenne must be a good antibiotic.. I had these sores at the side of my mouth and thought that I'd try a bit of creative thinking.. I mixed a third cayenne a third tumeric and a third coconut oil (ev. ) gave it a good stir. Then rubbed a bit either side of my mouth before bed.. It stung at first.. When I checked in the morning I noticed a blanched ulcer.. Which is a good sign as it means the infection or whatever it was, was nailed... After three dabs over a twenty four hour period, the stinging stopped and the ulcer was shrunk to half the size it started out at. And looks healthy. Its healing so well I thought I'd post.
Constipation Link to Canker Sores
Posted by Spiderhawk (Houston, Texas) on 10/31/2012
★★★★★
Interesting! I was wondering why I had a painfull canker sore appear under my tounge and after reading your post, it dawned on me that as a result of taking pain medication, I have been constipated for about two weeks now. I am going to rinse with baking soda and drink some baking soda as well. I have always had success drinking baking soda to relieve constapation.
Constipation Link to Canker Sores
Posted by Cody (Fort Worth, Texas) on 11/27/2012
★★★★★
Wow that's crazy, everytime I can ever think of the canker sores I got and currently have is all when I was not on a regular bathroom schedule. Vacation- canker sores appear, too busy... Canker sores appear. You're on to something, because the last 4 times would if this is true, all be for the lack of regular bowel movements!
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.
Yogurt
Posted by Whitney (Livonia, Mi) on 01/01/2011
★★★★★
Years ago a friend of mine had a mouth full of canker sores. Everything the dr gave her never worked includin lanicaine, she couldn't talk or function. After months of going through this we tried natural home remidies and found out it was great. Yogurt, the kind that has fruit on the bottom, the kind you stir to mix up, this activates the live cultures in it to soothe the pain and get to the real problem. Which is a intestinal flura upset. Yogurt balances all this out and within eating 1 to 2 or three a day all canker sores will be gone within 24 to 48 hours. I have recomdend this to other friends and even did this with my girls when they were little, worked everytime. The best thing about this is anyone from babies to adults can eat this, and is so much cheaper than a dr appointment and perscriptions that aren't always going to work. Good luck to everyone. And I hope you find this helpful.
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.
Ginger
Posted by Casper3047 (Surfers Paradise, Queensland) on 10/25/2009
★★★★★
Having been a long time sufferer of mouth ulcers in which they lasted for 3-5wks and often so bad, eating and talking were almost impossible I seem to have found "my" cure, and I hope it can help someone else. Simply chew and "let soak" with crystalline ginger 3-4 times a day. If you catch them early enough, they just seem to fade away. I haven't tried any other variations such as ginger tea because I like the eating the ginger.
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!
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!
Mustard
Posted by Rodney (Fort Wayne, IN) on 01/04/2009
★★★★★
For whatever reason if you put Mustard directly on your canker sores it burn then the pain is gone. Instant relief. I don't know if it heals anything but it sure feels better for a while and you don't have to run out and buy anything special.
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.
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! :):)
Baking Soda and Salt
Posted by Yolanda (Atlanta, Georgia) on 08/10/2008
★★★★★
Salt and Baking Soda cured my canker sore in mouth in three days! I had never had one before. I came here and saw the many remedies. I first tried the aspirin and actually it irritated the sore and the surrounding tissue in my mouth. I read about salt and baking soda. I started Wednesday night rinsing my mouth with the warm to borderline hot salt water (about a tablespoon of salt with about 6 oz of water) this will burn/painful at first. I swished around in mouth until all was gone. When I woke up I saw that the epithelial tissue almost like a scalb had formed over the sore in my mouth. Though still painfull, I repeated the same thing accept this time I used baking soda. Same amount as I used with the salt. I used baking soda twice and salt once during the course of the day. About every 3 1/2 hours. The soreness begin to go away.I repeated same thing on Friday. By Sat afternoon the soft tissue scalb was completed detached from sore and the sore was healed! Amazing!
Green Tea
Posted by Kayla (Spokane, Washington) on 07/25/2008
★★★★★
A couple of days ago I had some dental work done. I recieved topical anesthesia, a couple pain killing shots, and laughing gas. The shots made my mouth very swollen, and the topical anethesia and the laughing gas made me unable to feel the entire left side of my mouth. While I was out of it, I chewed up that whole side, leaving large, raged canker sores.
After a couple days of pain which required me to take leftover Valiums from previous dental work, I tried drinking green tea, iced. It's cooling, soothing, and offers a great deal of relief.
Gluten-Free Diet
Posted by Arthur (Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin) on 07/15/2008
★★★★★
I am age 83. I suffered from canker sores continuously my whole life until 2 years ago when by accident I discovered that I had celiac disease, that is gluten intolerance. Since going on a gluten-free diet I have not had even one canker sore. NADA! Also the acid reflux that I had all my adult life has also almost completely gone away.
Unlit Match
Posted by Donna (Garnerville, NY) on 06/26/2008
★★★★★
I tried this last night and I'm shocked at how well it works!! When you hold the match head on the sore, it HURTS like you want to SCREAM, but when you're done, the pain practically disappears. The next day, the sore is significantly less painful and it has started to heal.