Kristin (Salt Lake City, UT) on 05/20/2009
I tried canker sore gels. They eliminate the pain temporarily but not the sore itself.
I tried baking soda. That seemed to help shorten the duration a bit was very painful for about 5 minutes. Similarly, apple cider vinegar was painful and seemed to cause a slight improvement in symptoms but didn't eliminate the sores.
I tried a pinch of alum, which also stung to apply and really pickled my lips. I coudln't determine whether that helped much either.
Finally, I bought SLS-free toothpaste 6 months ago. I haven't had a full-blown canker sore since! I think 1 or 2 may have thought about starting during that time, but each time they went away without forming or causing pain.
Replied By Dale (Kearney, Nebraska) on 09/01/2010
Replied By Whitmire8 (Whitmire, Sc - South Carolina) on 11/10/2011