Natural Remedies for Canker Sores | Home Treatments For Relief

Cloves

Posted by Juliana (Edmonton, Canada ) on 06/18/2021
★★★★★

I used many different things for the big sore on my tongue. Nothing would work, until I started to use the clove powder.. It started to work immediately.

I've learned that canker sore can be caused by bacteria or many other causes. In my case, it was bacterial, from a tooth infection. In 2 days it shrunk 80%..another 2 days later it was gone.

Peppermint Oil

Posted by Anon (Anon) on 07/02/2020
★★★★★

Peppermint oil seems to have shrunk the canker sore I had. I was putting a drop of the oil in my mouth once a day. That was three days ago, the sore is gone. It had been there about three days before I used the oil.

I mixed several drops with tea tree oil in a capsule and inserted it to see if it would get rid of what appears to be hpv on my cervix. That was 12 hours ago and my period has just started a week early.

CBD Oil

Posted by Chris (Atlanta, Ga ) on 08/29/2019
★★★★★

I had nasty canker sore on the roof of mouth. I tried everything on here for relief. It all helped some. Then I remembered that I have some cbd oil balm. I loaded up a Q-Tip with it and placed it everywhere I felt pain or tenderness. Went to sleep. Woke up pain free. Like it went away over night. That stuff is the best for any type of skin lesion.

Avoid SLS Toothpaste

Posted by Mar (New Zealand) on 07/29/2019
★★★★★

Avoid Sodium Laurel Sulphate in foaming toothpaste, cleansers etc. I am a 58 year old female and have suffered on and off with canker sores (aka mouth ulcers) since my teens, although sometimes going for long periods with none. However I have recently had two cankers on the gums of my lower front teeth which just will not go away. Normally a canker sore would last about a week, but I have had these for approximately six weeks. I have been doing extensive research and believe I have discovered the cause : sodium laurel sulphate (SLS). I was using hydrogen peroxide on the sores for healing and also using a purchased baking soda toothpaste,, but did not realise the toothpaste contained SLS. I have also been using a foaming cleanser with SLS on my face which may or may not contribute to the issue. I believe I have developed a sensitivity to SLS and will now need to avoid it. Just thought that might help someone.

Folic Acid

Posted by Dude (Sliver Spring, Md) on 12/20/2016
★☆☆☆☆

Folic Acid doesn't work for canker sores. Makes them sorer.

Oil Pulling

Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 05/28/2016

Hmmm Arnezi, coconut oil had always only given me temporary relief. But this past outbreak disappeared after drinking Oregano tea for a few days. Just 1 teaspoon of plain oregano from the spice jar in a glass of boiling water.

Garlic

Posted by Paolo (Midland, Tx) on 12/05/2015
★★★★★

I had a canker sore in mouth right where my gums and cheek meet. I chewed one garlic clove in the morning and once at night and within three days it was non-existent.

Avoid Milk

Posted by Sharon (Naples, Fl) on 12/08/2014
★★★★★

hi, my son is 17 and has been suffering with cankersores since he's been 3yrs old.

He gets them weekly up to 10 in his mouth. Went to every singal doctor/department known to man. Ended up in Rheumatology department only to be put on drugs that were for cancer!!! I was so done with this. Finally I took him to a holistic doctor who did a food intolerance panel. (not allergy) and it came up that he was intolerant to milk, cheese, and eggs. As soon as we eliminated those foods, he is cankersore free-----except of course when he wants pizza with cheese and ends up with sores 2 days later:)

Folic Acid

Posted by Melissa (Veracruz, Mexico) on 04/24/2013
★★★★★

Take folic acid. Mouth sores go away very quickly! It's fantastic!

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....

Gluten-Free Diet

Posted by Shaun (York, Uk) on 11/01/2011
★★★★★

My partner (female, 57) has suffered with mouth cankers for as long as she can remember. These are/were incredibly painful. They looked like mini volcano's! They came 'round on a regular basis on gums, tongue and inner lips. We tried just about everything, but with no joy. Then I thought maybe she is gluten sensitive (I had heavily researched gluten sensitivity for my own [now cured skin condition[s], see elsewhere on Earthclinic), and other other 'odd' and seemingly incurable autoimmune-like issues of various friends. The result? Bam! No more mouth cankers. What a joy! To those who do not suffer this issue you just cannot believe the sheer relief that this has brought her. 50 years of doctors efforts had come to nothing. It has now been 2/3 months with no sign of mouth ulcers.

As an aside I would suggest to ANYONE that if you have some sort of seemingly incurable issue (candida, cankers, anaemia, IBS, ear pain, brain fog, rheumatoid arthritis etc., etc. , or indeed... Whatever) that you very, very strongly consider some form of gluten sensitivity. Sadly my partners father also suffers from canker issue (and stomach problems), but as he is 85 and bread is something of a holy social and ethnic issue with him he will just not accept the fact that gluten is his problem. Nevertheless we will keep trying to convince him!

Oil Pulling

Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 03/20/2011
★★★★★

after years of recurring canker sores, and trying many of the remedies on this site, the one that is finally working for me is oil pulling (15 minutes once or twice daily) with vco. Thank you!

Ibuprofen

Posted by Mary (Philadelphia, Pa) on 12/23/2010
★★★★★

Thank you!!!! This afternoon a canker sore became incredibly painful. Tried salt water. Tried lisine. Came here and tried Apple Cider Vinegar. All either did nothing or made it hurt more. Kept reading here and saw all the good aspirin reports. Didn't have aspirin so I used ibuprofen instead. Oh my goodness, it's now numb. No pain at all. Even if it doesn't last, a bit of relief is a godsend!

Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Heidi (Van Nuys, Ca, Usa) on 09/09/2010
★★★★☆

Yay - My second painful canker sore just showed up yesterday, and last night it woke me up from my sleep. I tried dobbing some tea tree oil on it with a q-tip, and the pain was immediately eased enough to get back to sleep. I don't know if it will help speed the healing, but it does certainly help a great deal with the pain!

Wasabi

Posted by Stargene (Ben Lomond, Ca) on 01/30/2010
★★★★★

For decades I'd suffered from canker sores (aka: aphthous ulcers) inside my mouth. A dental study of Japanese communities revealed that their low dental plaque was due to compounds called isothiocyanates in wasabi, the green radish paste. Since that time, 12 years ago, I have not had a SINGLE canker sore, even though I still abrade my mouth, gum and inner lips as much as ever, because every day I brush my teeth using ~1 part wasabi to ~3-4 parts toothpaste, ANY toothpaste.

The wasabi actually inhibits bacteria from attaching to mouth surfaces using their plaque! This is an actual preventive which works.

Avoid Mouthwash

Posted by Kevin (Seattle, Wa) on 11/24/2009
★★★★★

Found out that I kept getting canker sores and versions of thrush from using mouthwashes. If you have c- sores and gargle with off the shelf mouth washes, try stopping for a few days. worked for me.

Oral Care

Posted by NMadrid (Madrid, Spain) on 05/23/2009
★★★★★

I used to suffer terribly with canker sores since childhood, till a friend recommended salt toothpaste - I obviously can't mention the brand here, but the main ingredient is baking soda and I have to say that for me (and the friend who recommended it) this really has been a miracle cure!