11 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Canker Sores
Apthous stomatitis, more commonly known as canker sores, are mysterious mouth ulcers that have plagued most people at some point in their lives. I say “mysterious” because it’s not totally known what causes these pesky painful spots on the inside of the mouth, although biting your cheek/inside of your lip, braces rubbing, stress, genetics, and a malfunctioning immune response are all possible contributors.
Starting as a red patch of oval skin, they’ll typically become increasingly inflamed and develop a white or yellow-ish spot in the middle. Now, how to get rid of canker sores?
With a handful of natural ingredients, it’s not difficult to find ways to soothe the pain they cause (and make it so you can chew your food normally and talk without a lisp, which are also important things to consider.)
1. DIY Numbing Spray
Peppermint and eucalyptus essential oil both have anti-inflammatory properties, while also possibly working as anti-microbial agents (thus reducing chance of infection.) astringents to help tighten the tissues around the wound, relieving further discomfort caused by swelling or potential fluid buildup. The cooling properties of both of these oils can also numb the nerve endings that are firing off.
You will need…
-2 tablespoons of olive or grapeseed oil
-10 drops of peppermint essential oil
-8 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
-A glass mister bottle
Directions
Pour the olive or grapeseed oil into a glass mister bottle, and add the essential oils. Cap, shake well, and spray some directly onto the canker sore as needed for pain relief. Shake before each use.
2. Chamomile Tea Bag
Chamomile consists of several daisy-like plants that are most commonly used to induce sleep, promote relaxation, and help with digestion-it works a treat with cramping since it can help relax painful spasms in the digestive track. A chemical compound called bisabolol, or levomenol, is found naturally in German chamomile, and has been shown to reduce inflammation and also have antiseptic properties. Both of these properties will help reduce the pain of canker sores and potentially help speed the healing process.
You will need…
-1 bag of chamomile tea, or a tablespoon of dried flowers wrapped in cheesecloth
-Fresh water
Directions
Soak the chamomile in water for 1 minute or so if using a teabag, and 3-4 if using dried flowers. After soaking place it directly against the sore for 5-10 minutes twice daily to help relieve discomfort and promote speedy healing.
3. Swish Sage
Sage is an herb from the evergreen shrub, Salvia officinalis, in the mint family. It used widely in the culinary world, and has also been prevalent in homeopathic medicine and home remedies for years. Native American’s used sage long before modern medicine to help cleanse the mouth, and to heal the painful ulcers that we now know as canker sores.
You will need…
-A handful of fresh sage OR 2 teaspoons dried sage
-4-8 ounces of fresh water
Directions
If you are using dried sage, boil your water and allow the herb to infuse for 10 minutes. Swish the water, and the herb, in your mouth for 1 minute before spitting it out and rinsing with plain cold water. You can also make a tea-type rinse with fresh leaves, but I prefer the following method.
Place your sage leaves in an airtight glass jar in a cool dark place and allow them to infuse for 24 hours. Swish the liquid (sans the sage) in your mouth for 1 minute. Lightly pound the soft, moist leaves to a pulp and then place the pulp directly over the sore for 5 minutes. Rinse with plain cold water.
4. Coconut Oil
When in doubt, use coconut oil! Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and also incredibly tasty, coconut oil is almost fail-safe when it comes to getting rid of canker sores.
You will need…
-Coconut oil
Directions
Using clean hands or a cotton swab, dab a liberal amount of coconut oil onto the sore. Try to get a somewhat thick layer or clump on there-coconut oil melts rapidly and a thin layer just seems to slide right off. If you feel like you really can’t get it to stick, melt 1 tablespoon down with ½ teaspoon or so of beeswax to thicken it.
5. Clove Oil Cotton Ball
Clove oil contains eugenol, a potent painkiller, and has been used by dentists throughout decades to bring relief to patients. All those old-time depictions you see of dentists with giant pliers and their patients appearing to be in agony? They clearly forgot the clove oil. Eugenol is still used today, although in a pure extracted form, but clove oil remains useful for oral pain ranging from toothaches to canker sores.
You will need…
-1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
-4-5 drops of clove essential oil
-Cotton balls
-Warm water/salt water
Directions
Swish your mouth with warm water or salt water to get the area clean, allowing the clove oil to really sink in and do its job. Mix the clove oil with the olive oil and then soak a cotton ball in it. Apply the cotton ball directly to the sore for 5-8 minutes for numbing relief.
6. Honey Rub
With its antibacterial, and potentially anti-inflammatory, properties, raw organic honey makes a wonderfully soothing coating for a painful canker sore.
You will need…
-A wee dab of organic raw honey
-Warm water
Directions
Swish some warm water in your mouth, and then apply a thick dab of organic raw honey directly to the sore. Reapply 2-3 times daily (at least one of those times should be before night, as it seems to do best when you aren’t bothering it by talking or eating.)
7. Wax Cap
If you have a sore that keeps rubbing against your tooth, or if you have braces and or dentures that are irritating the sore, putting a little wax “capping” over the surface can help reduce irritating friction against the sore and help speed up the healing time. If you are placing this over braces, it’s important to make it thick enough that it doesn’t just get ground into the brace and stuck.
You will need…
-1 tablespoon of beeswax
-2 teaspoons of coconut oil
Directions
Melt down the beeswax and coconut oil and allow the mixture to cool slightly. When it has cooled, gently press a dollop over the edge of your tooth/braces/dentures to protect the canker sore from rubbing.
8. Cayenne “Cream”
Cayenne contains a substance called capsaicin, which is the same chemical constituent that makes it “hot.” Capsaicin can inhibit something called Substance P, which is responsible for mediating pain responses in the body. Because of this, cayenne makes a great home remedy for canker sores, even though it sounds like the opposite thing you’d want to use!
You will need…
-Cayenne pepper
-Warm water
-Cotton swabs
Directions
Mix just enough warm water with ground cayenne pepper to form a thick paste. Use a cotton swab to apply directly to the canker sore. Reapply 2-3 times daily for pain relief.
9. Aloe Rinse
The king (or queen) of soothing plants-aloe! The gel from this magnificent plant wields mighty powers when it comes to soothing not just sunburn, but canker sores as well. Make sure you use natural gel-not the green kind.
You will need…
-1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel
-1 tablespoon of water
Directions
Stir the gel into the water and swish it gently over the sore 3 time’s day to ease the pain and facilitate healing.
10. Eat Yogurt
Yogurt is made from fermented milk-delicious, yes? It is produced by bacterial fermentation, that is, using bacteria or yeast to convert carbohydrates into organic acids. The result is a tangy bacteria rich substance that is enjoyed worldwide. You most often hear of it restoring a healthy balance to gut flora, but eaten daily yogurt may one of the home remedies for canker sores you find yourself going to frequently. It’s a simple healthy remedy that may help because it balances out bacteria in your mouth which, if it was out of balance, may contribute to or cause a canker sore.
You will need…
-Plain yogurt with live cultures
Directions
Make sure the label on the yogurt confirms that it contains live cultures, and make sure you get plain-not vanilla! Eat at the very minimum 1 tablespoon 3 times daily. I usually eat around a cup and add a little bit of raw honey for taste and an extra healing boost!
11. Warm Salt Water
When the salt content around cells is greater on the outside than the inside osmosis takes place, with water being drawn from in the cells to help balance out the concentration. When water is drawn out, the painful puffiness that excess fluid can cause is diminished. If you have a canker sore that is really puffed up that keeps rubbing or that you keep biting, gargling with salt water can help greatly. This is also why salt water gargles help with a sore throat-reducing the painful swelling of the cells in the mucous membrane at the back of the throat. The warm water also produces a general sense of soothing relief, while the salt may help keep the area clean.
You will need…
-1/4 cup of warm salt water
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
Directions
Stir the salt into the warm water and swish it around in your mouth 3 times daily until the canker sore is gone.
Canker Sore Tips
– Try to avoid acidic foods when you have a canker sore, as they can prolong healing. Some people find that acidic foods may trigger their sores. Oddly, on the flip side, some anecdotal evidence suggests that a bit of very acidic juice (e.g. lemon juice) can sometimes help.
– Experiment with different home remedies for canker sores. Mix and match the ones on the list-for example, rinse with aloe and then follow up with the cayenne cream.
– Pay attention to your body-if you find yourself with canker sores breaking out every time you have a project deadline to meet, take time to yourself to relax. You deserve it.
You may also like our list of natural cold sore remedies
We Want to Hear from You! Let us know which remedies work and do not work for you, ask a question or leave a comment:
5 Home Remedies for Seasonal Allergies
14 Home Remedies for Arthritis & Joint Pain
11 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Canker Sores
16 Home Remedies to Relieve Constipation
7 Natural Cough Remedies for Persistent & Dry Coughs
13 Natural Remedies for Depression
3 Incredibly Easy Remedies to Help a Dry Nose
12 Ways to Get Rid of Gas & Bloating
18 Helpful Remedies to Relieve Headache Pain & Tension
15 Natural Remedies for Heartburn & Severe Acid Reflux
14 Soothing Remedies for Nausea & Upset Stomach
18 Natural Sleep Aids to Get Better Sleep
12 Ways to Help You Snooze Without Snoring
22 Natural Sore Throat Remedies to Help Soothe the Pain
8 Home Remedies for Stomach Aches & Cramps
14 Natural Home Remedies for UTI Pain & Discomfort
How to Lose Weight Naturally (22 Home Remedies)
This is very helpful! Both my son and I get canker sores now and then, and they are so painful. We’ll try some of these remedies next time.
The minute you feel that horrible feeling of a canker sore. Take an ice cube and pla ce on the sore for as long as possible. You will find that it will not develop any further.
For cankers I’ve always used Baking Soda. It kills the acid in the sore and the sore goes away in a day or so. One treatment seems to work.
do you mix it with anything or what? My son gets them alot and i’m trying to find him some relief.
Hello, I follow the same remedy as stated above and it always seems like the best solution for me. Trust me I have tried most of these remedies :). Generally my mother taught me to mix a small amount of baking soda and lime/lemon juice. The way you typically do it is grab a spoon, fill with a very small amount of baking soda, and then squeeze the lemon juice on the spoon and do a rinse/spit. The sore usually gets better within a day or two. Note that it might sting because of the lime/lemon, but it does numb the canker sore afterwards.
Agreed. It’s very painful when you put it on the sore though, but eventually it seems to be soothing. For me it takes multiple treatments and you’ll notice the results pretty quick. I don’t mix with water but place a good amount on the sore directly…it’s funny because you’ll see the baking soda start to fizz working it’s magic!
I have been battling mouth sores since mid December 2014, I have been using TheraBreath mouth rinse … It helps but nothing is making them go away, I shall try baking soda and Coconut oil. I have lost a vast amount of weight and was pretty thin to begin with. Nothing the doctor have given me worked either. I am so overwhelmed … Anyone have them this long ???
I was recommended to increase my zinc levels, i get them when i’m stressed.
have you tried taking a good quality Vitamin B Complex on a daily basis. I’ve read that if you miss the B vitamins that canker sores are caused by this lack of the b vitamins. Get the kind of B vitamins that your body assimilates easily. Also , a good quality Vitamin B12 taken sublingually is very helpful. Wonderlabs.com makes a good Vit B12. That’s where I order mine from. Since I’ve been taken the Vit B Complex and the Vit B12 (methylcobalamin), I haven’t had a canker sore in years. Stay away from sugar.
You might find that it takes a few months but you should see improvement, unless something else is going on.
LYNDA, If the sore has lasted for that long and you are losing weight, you should go see a doctor ASAP.
I would suspect something more complicated than a cancer sore
Yeah a canker sore can be the sign of something wrong ie. Serious vit or mineral deficiency, thyroid, hormonal or even a sign of the start of Cancer. If you are loosing a lot of weight quickly you need to push for tests and biopsy. A lady I know has them she has Sjodrens Syndrome she needed a biopsy of the sores taken.
I hope this is not longer an issue for you- but I too find I get them when I suspect I’m low on B vitamins. (Or I bite myself!) I eat nutritional yeast to get my b vitamins- it’s especially yummy on popcorn or add it to a home-made veggie broth. I hope you have found some relief!
Do you place the baking directly on the sore?
My name is also Steve, and I get these sores. I put many things on my sores. Baking soda, ice cubes, lemon water, salt water, ice cream, garlic, honey, coconut… it all works. Good luck, other Steve and anyone else named Steve that reads this.
So funny… my name is Stephen though. I tried the Coconut oil and it worked really well. Thanks
my name is also Steave although I spell it a little differently. recently my tongue got a ton of canker sores. I will be starting treatment tomorrow. Any suggestions as to which one is best?
I don’t get canker sores or mouth ulcers often but since I started ” oil pulling” with coconut oil about 10 days ago I have a big painful sore inside my top lip and one on my tongue. Could the pulling have initiated this?
if that’s true I should stop oil pulling to.
Hah lol, too bad that super bacteria are becoming a lot more common. Soon we are gonna have to give up on antibacterials and find something else. But for canker sore pain relief/treatment, listerine works really well. Use the listerine to numb the sore and then apply salt.
I do not get canker sores anymore after doing daily coconut oil pulling.
Gerry, I do hope you did lots of research before oil pulling. I was going to try it until I read about really dangerous effects it can have on your health. I agree that the fact you got these sores so soon after starting the oil pulling can
be a result of that.
As for the treatment of cold sores, I have tried many of these ideas and cannot attest to any one cure, but simply that they all helped. Salt water rinse and then applying some coconut oil has been my treatment today and it is feeling better quickly.
I get sores a lot! And usually I just suffer through. I have 2 now and have been putting throat spray on them to numb them. Well after reading this, I tried the honey. Hurt at first but very shortly after it has numbed my sores. Hopefully this numbing will last and I can keep using the honey until they heal.
Applications of powdered alum several times a day will do the job of clearing them from your mouth.
Strange I don’t normally get canker sores either but like Gary I had tried oil pulling twice last week and now I’ve got 2 incredibly painful soars on the roof of my mouth at the back of my throat. I’m away at camp/work so don’t have access to many of these remedies. found some chamomile tea bags in the mess hall hope they bring me some relief
Hi. I’m Stephanie. Seems pretty close enough to you guys’ names haha. Anyway, I tried putting on salt directly on my canker sore and now it is beginning to heal. 🙂
Steph putting salt directly on the sore is too painful
Noni, but it works like a charm. I usually take a cotton swab, wet it, sprinkle salt on it, and apply it on to the canker sore. It hurts a lot at first but that’s an indicator that the salt is working. After a while, the pain numbs and the canker sores go away.
the worst thig to do when you have canker sores is to eat sour candy
Never had a canker sore before but it hurts
I have a really bad canker sore i’ve had it all week! it hurts like a bitch I just wanna cut it out….. does salt water really work tho? btw why is Steve such a common name?!
My daughter broke out a month ago w/ a very painful canker sore on her tongue. Then two weeks later, just a few days after complete healing she broke out again. Now every 5 days she says she feels a burning, tingly itch and we try different pastes which seem to stop them. We don’t know the cause. Does anyone have food allergies causing yours and if so what? We’ve eliminated citrus & salty.
It sounds weird, but could she be allergic to Sodium Laurel Sulfate? It is in most toothpastes. I had sores for years before I heard about this. I bought a SLS-free toothpaste and do not get sores anymore, unless I have to borrow someone else’s toothpaste. Give it a try
There a virus going around common in kids its called hands feet mouth disease my siblings had it in their mouth and it was exactly like canker sores. As for me, I’m allergic to peanuts and fish and iv’e never experienced canker sores only hives around my body. Hope this is helpful C:
First of all, that is bs, there is no virus like that, they are canker sores, they are caused by a lack of vitamin b 12, this is necessary for the immune system, also people that have braces get these sores too, but to prevent getting them you need b12 vitamin, to treat them you just rinse with baking soda and water mix…
My daughter who is now 45, was diagnosed with “hand, foot and mouth syndrome” when she was 5 years old, by an Army doctor when we were stationed in Georgia so it does exist! We just had to wait for it to go away since it was a virus. She didn’t have canker sores as a result of the hand, foot and mouth syndrome.
My abusive ex-husband of 27 years who left me 20 years ago has dragged me to court twice over the past 15 months to get my alimony stopped and I had to have a total hip replacement during the same time. I also just had to have a bronchoscopy because of one of two lung diseases, a couple of days ago because they found a hole in one lung and if I weren’t already miserable enough? A canker sore showed up inside my lip about an inch away from the corner of the right side of my mouth! I came here looking for remedies! I rarely get them but they are definitely stress related! The warm salt water helped for a little while, the yogurt didn’t and I’m going to try baking soda next! But a comment on here reminded me I haven’t been taking my Vitamin D! So I’ll start that back up!
Hope I’ve helped some folks! Have a good one! ;o)
Hand foot and mouth is a real virus. Painful sores all inside their mouths and throats. And/or on their hands and feet. All my kids have had it and it was pretty miserable but most adults don’t get it.
Tammy-there is a virus, a type of coxsackie virus, called hand foot and mouth disease that make children get sores in these areas. It is a self-limiting condition, that is, it will get better without treatment, and the sores will be accompanied by other viral symptoms, such as fever and lethargy. It is common, but definitely different than cankers.
I switched to a vegan diet recently and have my first ever canker sore on the tip of my tongue-so painful- that won’t go away. I’ve been careful about b vitamins but I have been eating a lot of acidic fruit. Hoping some of these tips will work!
Make sure your daughter is brushing her teeth well. Simply not doing a good job cleansing her mouth can cause and excessive amount of bacteria thus leaving canker sores. My brother as well, doesn’t do the best job cleaning his teeth/mouth so he tends to get canker sores quit often. As for me, I have braces and I’m constantly getting canker sores. It seems as though I have at least 2 or 3 every month and they take at least 4-6 days to heal depending on how bad they are, or the size. I have recently discovered on accident that eating something with garlic really soothed the irritation and pain I was feeling on my sores. It was such a relief! lol. However, for your daughter, definitely use salt water! It kills the bacteria and usually feels much better after rinsing with it. She may just feel a little pain while rinsing though. If she continues getting these sores she may need to get checked out for any possible issues…I hope this helped!
I used to get tons and tons of canker sores inside my mouth and it was because of Celiac’s disease. Now that I am gluten free I only get them once in a long while
After having a lot of dental work last year, I got a ton of canker sores, the dentist gave me a script for bubble gum tasting numbing mouthwash which was ok, nothing special. I recently ate pineapple that was a bit over ripe and a banana that was too under ripe/green and they set off 5 fire alarm bells in my mouth. I have 2 huge sores on the opposite sides of my tongue that it even makes it difficult to speak. I am going to try baking soda and water paste and the coconut oil. Hopefully it will give me some relief. Thank you for letting me vent!
I don’t have a diagnosed case of Celiacs, but I’m sensitive to gluten (get hives if I exercise after eating gluten). Whenever I start getting a lot of cold sores and canker sores I go gluten free and magically the cold sores and canker sores disappear. Give GF a try, see if it helps your daughter.
Hi Angela,
Hope your daughter is fine now. Most of the time cause of sores is stomach problem. Mainly when stomach is not clean or increase of heat in stomach.
Try to avoid junk and heavy food which creates trouble for intestines,
Give her more fruits and vegetables. specially food with natural fibres. it helps clean intestines.
Too much tuna causes canker sores in my mouth, and I am beginning to wonder if chocolate is a cause as well. My mother also was sensitive to tuna.
I just had my braces a week ago and I got this canker sores. It won’t let me speak and eat well because of the pain. I will try these tips. Thanks!
I get painful cankersores too and I will try some of these. I wanted to share that I have figured out the two things that give me cankersores are gluten and most prescriptions.
It is not your prescription medications. I have been taking several meds for over twenty five years and never had a canker sore. I had to have an impression of my gums for a new partial at my dentist and my problems started after the mixed the adhesives together and put it in my mouth. The adhesive burned the inside of my mouth and I have tried everything to try and heal them with no success.
Nothing has been working for me 🙁 I have about 5 sores on my lip and they won’t go away. I’ll try the warm water and salt ! Thanks !!!
Maybe it’s herpes?
I had suffered through cankersores until I discovered a connection with sour candy, salty chips and salty nuts. I have not had a cankersore since I stopped eating any of those.
Canker sores come out exactly from what you said…salty foods, spicy foods, chips, salsa, etc. In addition to that you want to keep your mouth super clean (brush after meals and floss) and avoid Sodium Lauryl-Sulfate in toothpaste. Sensodyne is probably the best toothpaste to use. Eating yogurt daily and before bed will kill the bacteria that causes canker sores as well.
I found a cure!!!!! And I hope to receive some credit for it lol. I am a 46-year-old male, married with three children. I have been getting canker source ever since I was 10 years old. My oldest child is 10 years old and gets them now too. First, I will give you the reasons why I get them. If I forget to brush my teeth at night I will wake up with canker sores, or if I get a cut in my mouth. My daughter will get them the same way.
ok, now that being said here is what I came across. It’s no special concoction, or remedy. I changed my toothpaste. That it!!!!!! As simple as that. I’ve used crest toothpaste for years and up until a few years ago I had switched to “Colgate toothpaste”. It worked instantly!! I’ve been canker sore free. Unless I forget to brush before bed, then I will pay the price. I looked at the ingredients in both crest and Colgate and noticed that Colgate had an anti-bacteria ion added to it. You can do your own research and see for yourself. I hope for all of you sufferers like myself finds this helpful. I’d be happy to hear your comments by email or this site.
Hi, I have had same problem with crest tooth paste. Whenever I use it, I get a swollen tongue within few hours. I have switched to colgate years ago.
I have been getting for over 20 years now and the frequency of getting these is increasing with age.
Main causes for getting these for me are eating chocolate, spicy food, nuts of any kind and drinking coffee 🙁
I have been taking B12 vitamins but of not much help.
I have never tried any of these recipes so am hoping some will work for me.
I have one on the top of my lip this is the first one I’ve ever had. It hurts so bad that it makes my gums and teeth hurt is that normal?
Yes. It’s definitely normal. If you don’t think it’s normal, you could go to the doctor for it. My cousins go to the doctor every time they get cankers. Not that the doctor does anything about it, really. But if it gets their mind at peace, nothing wrong with it. I suggest baking soda, personally. Just leave it on there until it gets gooey.
Yes. It’s definitely normal. If you don’t think it’s normal, you could go to the doctor for it. My cousins go to the doctor every time they get cankers. Not that the doctor does anything about it, really. But if it gets their mind at peace, nothing wrong with it. I suggest baking soda, personally. Just leave it on there until it gets gooey.
Heads up!
Not sure if it was the chamomile tea bag or the coconut oil, but I used both of those and the next day my lip, on the side where my canker sore is, went super swollen!
I don’t think it’s an allergy, considering I drink that tea all the time and I love coconut.
Maybe I should have connected a warning with coconut oil pulling comments.
Author of the article. Unless you have some examples of success, or details of the science, maybe remove the coconut oil?
Thanks!
From one canker sore sufferer to another i knowww how painful it is ! Have two now…most helpful tips to keep them from recurring get a new toothbrush n disinfect it after each use , dont smoke while having canker sores itll prolong the sore infecting it more, and i agree baking soda salt n coconut oil works very well,
I’ve had canker sores my whole life. They tend to only come up (including popped taste buds) when I’ve eaten too much sugar or a lot of citrus. Avoiding those may help. I do salt swishes but it still takes ages to go away.
Great suggestions, I had my wisdom teeth out this week & managed to get a troublesome canker sore in the process, while I tried a few of these remedies, I found what worked best for me was holding a little piece of noncoated aspirin on it for a few minutes, has helped tremendously so far 🙂
Hi I’m suffering from 2 huge ulcers, one at the tongue tip and one at the upper jaw. Both made me in great pain and almost unable to eat. The two ulcer pastes that I bought OTC were totally useless. I tried two of your suggested methods – coconut oil combined with salt water rinse. I did both twice and got them recover 50% the next day and a further 50% the following day. Your tips are greatly useful. Thank you and I’m not afraid of mouth ulcers any more.
I hate these sores they are soooo PAINFUL i have to say I have tried many of these remedies and none of them seems to work for me I just suffer through but it’s a miserable two weeks
Loved the tips.
There’s one more that should be there. Baking soda. It works miracously. Topically. Or drinking it works even faster.
Tried the baking soda,but how many times do we put in the sores?You suggested drinking it so please elaborate,I am desperate as its been 4 days.Miserable,tring coconut oil and salt water swishes.
Tried the cayenne paste and it just made it 5x worse. I wouldn’t recommend using it. Although the coconut oil worked great for bringing down the pain.
Listerene Works wonders! I burn the lil bastards out in a single day with listerene!
How many times did you have to use the listerene
Lmaoooooooooooooooooooo, thanks for the laugh, my sore hurts I’m going to do this
Listerine worked for me and so did Chloraseptic throat spray, but I was worried that using them often enough to treat and prevent canker sores could have negative effects on health.
I have had canker sores for a long time because I have messed up teeth and they always scratch my lip and form the sores but if you use dab listerene on your sore then swish salt water the pain vanishes
I am so relived to know all these remedies! I get Canker sores 15 times or more every month. The longest I have gone without one is 4 weeks. I will try ALL of these to find witch works best! -Mbugs
For some reason the warm water and salt only made the canker sore sting. Same with the yogurt. :/
I use ice to num the pain there what ever else I can find and use.
My mom and grandma have given me “powdered alm” my whole life. It’s a spice used for canning food. EXTREMELY HELPFUL. Don’t waste your time with anything else. I get bad ones on my tounge. Just put a dab of the powder on the sore (really painfull, but LEAVE IT ON) and the sore will be gone in an hour or so
I tried the Alum since it was recommended on several websites. Didn’t work. Sore was just as bad the next day.
I just wanted to thank you so much for this. I have had painful and extremely giant canker sores, one at a time, at least once a month since I was a small child. I’m 22. And I just cried for so long when I realized that this works. Thank you so much. You have made this so much easier to deal with.
Where could i get this powered alm?
Good to read all those useful tips. My marraige is in next week followed by honeymoon & i have these 4 big mouth ulcers. Will try salt water, honey, turmeric,glycerine & mothwash. Lets see how many days it takes to heal now.
Tried the cayenne pepper paste and it works like a charm ! The pain almost completely subsided, although I had to endure a little peppery-ness in the mouth while it did it’s “thing”. The sore is still there but the pain eased up almost completely. I’ve also heard that the spice (?) Alum is good to put on a canker sore – AND Alum apparently makes the actual sore go away, rather than just relieving the pain. Hard to find though… been to three grocery stores and none of them carry Alum.
I’ve had canker sores as long as I can remember. I’ve tried almost all these remedies at one time or another, and yes each help. But, I found something that helps prevent them for a long period of time! Yellow root tea…5 or 6 root sticks about 6 inches long, bark peeled off, boil the root for 5 minutes. Pour yourself a cup, add teaspoon honey and a little lemon, drink! It’s not the best tasting but it’s so worth it! It is a year or two before they start showing up again. Yellow root coats or lines the stomach, it was created to do such good things!
I use ice cubes and hold it directly onto the canker sore… It slows down bacteria growth… I do this until it feels numb. Then, (this is going to be disgusting) I take a q-tip with my earwax on it and place the wax directly onto the canker sore… It’s going to burn so bad for a few seconds but then it will go numb and with in the next few hours you should see it getting smaller. By tomorrow it should be healed. Works for me every time.
I can’t wait to try a few of these and report back my results. I get canker sores several times a year, and it is annoying to eat soft, bland food for a whole week and go without coffee while they heal. At least for me, coffee, chocolate, spicy and acidic foods are all aggravators. Basically, anything that tastes good… I also find that biting my cheek, being stressed, not eating enough, or anything else that lowers my immune system makes them more likely and frequent.
Hi … This is my first ever canker sore I’ve had it for 5days & I feel like ripping my tongue out!!! Whats the best home remedie to get rid of it? I wanna go to the pharmacy tomorrow to get something ….. Suggestions?
LYSINE! This absolutely works and WILL PREVENT THEN SORES FROM ERUPTING! I have been doing this for decades, but you must take the Lysine BEFORE the break-out, and it will completely stop it. Taking it AFTER break-out will help arrest eruption, but the sore can be eliminated entirely if you start the lysine AS SOON AS you feel it starting, before it breaks the surface of the lip. Save yourself one or two weeks of ugly open lip sore.
When you feel that burning and can start to feel a little bump growing in your lip, take 10 Lysine tablets (I use the 1000 mg (1 g) tablets). Go WAY OVER the recommended dose. Unless you have some kind of allergy, it is perfectly safe. Actually, the bottle does not list a recommended daily value. I’ve done it yearly for over 20 years — found the cure in the 80s! In about half a day (10 hours or so later), take 10 MORE. Next day, take another dose of 10 and 10.
Why it works: the virus latches on to the Lysine instead of continuing to damage cells and cause a swelling.
You should notice: NOTHING. The small burning bump will simply stay small and tiny and then disappear. It will PREVENT IT FROM ERUPTING AT ALL!
LYSINE! This absolutely works and WILL PREVENT THE SORES FROM ERUPTING! I have been doing this for decades, but you must take the Lysine BEFORE the break-out, and it will completely stop it. Taking it AFTER break-out will help arrest eruption, but the sore can be eliminated entirely if you start the lysine AS SOON AS you feel it starting, before it breaks the surface of the lip. Save yourself one or two weeks of ugly open lip sore.
When you feel that tingling and burning and can start to feel a little bump growing in your lip, take 10 Lysine tablets (I use the 1000 mg (1 g) tablets). Go WAY OVER the recommended dose. Unless you have some kind of allergy, it is perfectly safe. Actually, the bottle does not list a recommended daily value. I’ve done it yearly for over 20 years — found the cure in the 80s! In about half a day (10 hours or so later), take 10 MORE. Next day, take another dose of 10 and 10.
Why it works: the virus latches on to the Lysine instead of continuing to damage cells and cause a swelling.
You should notice: NOTHING. The small burning bump will simply stay small and tiny and then disappear. It will PREVENT IT FROM ERUPTING AT ALL!
My grandmother many years ago said to use a steptic pencil or what is commonly called shaving pencil. Gently apply to sore for a few minutes. Neutralizes the acid right now . Apply pencil til sore turns white. Pain is now gone. Ketchup, orange juice, can now be consumed. Caution though. Tastes funny. Spit out taste. After sore turns white. You will be amazed with the results. Note grand mother lived to 90 years old. Safe to use.
Hi I am Dani and I have a canker sore on my bottom lip at the very bottom where it connects to my gums it hurts so bad. I don’t know if I should use the Coconut or the warm salt water or from the above post use a cotton swab. Any suggestions. It hurts really badly and I am only 12 I can’t even smile or let anything touch it. Any suggestions??
I’ve had canker sores since I was 5, which is also when I started kindergarten. I had horrible undiagnosed separation anxiety from my mother. Im now 42 and have seen dermatologists for years about these horrible horrible sores. When I was a child, the doctor told my mother that it was stress. She said “how could a 5 year old have stress?”. He said “we all have stress! What’s stressful for her is different than that of an adult but it’s still stress.” Stress lowers the immune system which gives these flamelike blisters a change to creep up on us. When I was in college, I was in a pretty verbally abusive relationship along with the stresses of finals etc. The dermatologist told me that he has many patients that come in around finals with the same problem BECAUSE now it’s not just the stress of the opposite sex, passing your finals, but ALSO lack of sleep due to staying up all night studying and worrying. I have learned that if I get just a few hours less sleep at night than im used to, I immediately will have a canker sore the next day!! It’s like clockwork. I have tried the salt water (at my mother’s insistence as a child) and it was excrutiatingly painful and never did a DAMN bit of good!!! Good luck all of you steves and everyone else!! Get enough sleep! Don’t eat too much sugarless gum or acidic food, try to learn to control your stress (when you do, could you teach me), and most importantly get enough sleep!!! Don’t let those little bastards kick you when your down or tired with a weakend immune system!!
Two years in a row, prize-winning canker sores swelled gums over teeth, for 8 weeks. Incredible pain, unable to chew, could barely talk. Lost 35 lbs. The docs blamed Rappamune, an immuno-suppressant for organ transplants. Could only gulp homemade slurry after numbing mouth and throat with my own mixture of 1tsp Anbesol (20% benzocaine), 1 oz Kaopectate, 1 oz hydrogen peroxide. Swish, hold in mouth for 5 minutes, then spit. Then funnel slurry down throat like a goose training to become pate’. Finally, dentist in college town said “trench mouth” is common among students before taking Finals, especially if they don’t brush teeth at night. Antibiotics didn’t work, but the docs replaced my benzocaine with lidocaine and that did. Use it now IMMEDIATELY at first sign of canker, and all is well.
I get canker sores in my tongue and its really painful.Thanks for the remedy
Thank you so much! This has helped me so much! I get canker sours A LOT! I may have had 60 in one month so I thank you! The pain is so unbearable that I will wake up at night crying. My sister baby get them and she is always in pain. Thank you, you have helped me and the baby!
What I meant when I said 60 in one month is I have one 60 remedies to heal the most canker soar I have had in a month are about 20-22
Copper sulfate is the way to go for cankers. It stings like a son of a gun but almost always rids my cankers in 1-2 applications.
I have one on the inside of my top lip HELP!!!! Does ice help if you rub ice on it
I used Oragel for pain, then Pepto to coat area. Apparently helped. Sores gone. Thanks for being here.
Im starting to get one and if had them for a long time. Im 15 now. Does the warm salt water help a lot?
You forgot the #1 cure- Allum. Just dip a q-tip in water then in the spice allum & dab on sores. It’s bitter so you can spit after but don’t rinse.
Swishing cold water over the sore reduces swelling
I have about 10+ in my mouth, ranging from small to medium-ish. Is there something wrong w/ me?
I don’t know what I’m eating that is triggering these canker sores. This is my second time that such a great amount has spawned in my mouth.
I believe that means your immune system is compromised. I have Lyme disease and every time I have a flare up I get canker sores, usually quite a few at a time.
Yes! I have a JIA and take medicines that compromise my immune system too and always have a mouth full of canker sores. I may have to change meds because my immune system is so bad I am sick more often then not and never want to eat because of the ulcers.
I have 12 canker sores in my mouth right now! >:(
Well I have one on the side of my tongue it hurts like crazy I have tor about tree days and i cant eat any whit out it huting tried milk whit water. glycerine. Im going to try the salt and water see if it works i only hope that it doesn’t burn
Awesome Thanks.I’ll try and forward to all my friends
I have a canker sore right now omg it makes life suck … I’m going to try the coconut oil ( since I use that on my hair as well ) I hope it works I have tried salt water n that doesn’t work for me been doing it for days might try the baking soda ( even tho it sounds gross ) … For some reason I only get canker sores when I’m pregnant but this is the first time getting one not pregnant … Thanks for the advice 🙂
Whatever you do don’t put plain salt directly onto the ulcer. Was told to do this by my GP last year with a particulary huge sore and it stripped the skin off the top, basically burnt away at my sore. Far too harsh and made it ten times more painful than it already was. I just go for painkillers every four hours, corsadyll and bonjela
I seem to get them if ive been eating chocolate or sugar before bed and forget to brush. My remedy is to rinse and gargle well with pickled jalapeno juice then brush. It is spicy but even the worst sore is noticeably better the next day and completely gone within 48hrs. I discovered this through just eating pickled jalapeños one day and noticing that my ulcer was miraculously gone the next day.
I have read through all of these comments and no one has mentioned using Powdered Alum. It is available in the spice aisle or with the canning supplies. It is normally used in making pickles. My grandmother taught me this and my whole family uses it. To use, take a q-tip and get damp with a single drop of water. Don’t get it too wet. Dip the q-tip into the bottle of powder. Some of the powder will stick to the q-tip. Take the powdered q-tip and rub the powder onto the canker sore. It will burn and taste terrible. Rinse your mouth with water. Alum is an astringent and kills the sore in one or two treatments. Apply treatment morning night. It will be gone in about 24 hours. Good luck to everyone!
I recommend- for outside of the mouth- witch hazel. As soon as you feel the tingle apply witch hazel to the sore. It will help it heal in a few days.
I’m 45 years old and have had canker sores on and off since I was a child. The doctor told me there was nothing I could do, they would just go away on their own! Glad to see there’s some ideas out there as I currently have 2 in the left side of my mouth, near the gumline. They are very painful and it hurts to even smile or eat. I have a bad habit of pretty much constantly chewing on the inside of my left cheek. I never put the two together but I see there’s a few with the same issue. Wish I could stop the chewing as its starting to make wrinkles around my mouth… lol. But I digress. 🙂 Think I’ll try the salt water, baking soda and coconut oil as I have all of these at home currently. Thanks for the tips!
It’s my understanding that the canker sores are because of the acid in your gut… probotics are helpful for keeping your insides from being to acidic… I used to get these things all the time… when I take care of my intestinal health I don’t get them. Detox teas.. probotics..
Had a very stressful week and had many canker sores is in my mouth as a result. I tried rubbing the coconut oil on to some of the ulcers and felt soothing but they were not going away . Changed my diet added L lysine Still had them . After a week of suffering I finally poured salt directly onto the ulcer to draw out the fluid and then applied cut aloe plant directly onto the sore using a napkin to keep my mouth open to allow it to dry and because of the nasty taste , lined my tongue with peanut butter so you don’t taste aloe plant. Wa La after two days of doing this completely disappeared !
Never mix yogurt with honey – one is pro-biotic, the other is anti-biotic
Thank you everyone I’m going to try some of these remedies cause these canker sores are so painful. It may sound very odd but I have notice that when I get up at night or in the morning and go into my kitchen bare footed on the real cold tile I end up with a canker sore… so I make sure I always have my slippers on..
My daughter had dental work and her gums are sore and have a white spot on it I guess due to the injection what can I put on her gums so that the redness and swelling also the sore to go away. Thanks
Simply apply organic apple cider vinegar with a q-tip before you go to bed and the sore will be gone by morning. I use to get them all the time but now I rarely get them.
I have canker sores pretty often and the method I use gets rid of them in 24 hrs or less. Use this method at your own risk but it sure works for me, As soon as I feel one coming on, I grab a very small pinch of chewing tobacco and hold it on the sore with my tongue as long as I can stand to have the stuff in my mouth. Before I started using the tobacco the sores would last 2 weeks or more and were very pain full. May not work for you but the folks that turned me on to this cure will tell you the same thing.
I’ve had a nasty sore on my tongue for the past few days and it’s making me crazy.
To cope with these sores, I chew on 2 whole cloves or make a strong clove tea (no sugar added).
It tastes terrible and can give me mild stomach discomfort if I drink too much, but the awesome numbing effect of cloves is worth it! Cloves are a powerful antiseptic as well, their oil used to be used to disinfect surgical instruments.
This is very helpful. I currently have 8 ulcers in my mouth and can barely eat and talk. I have a suppressed immune system, a small mouth and braces so I always have a mouth full of ulcers and doctors have no solution. I also heard that chewing on tums can help because it reduces acid in the mouth. Something to try!
According to my experience mouth ucler is caused by bad diet, to avoid it you must keep on eating vegetables daily. Medicines for mouth ucler contain acids thus putting lemon on it helps in cure. When putting lemon it hurts a lot but removes pain for about an hour, this can be used before eating or you can put on it citric acid which is also good