Download ArticleTired of canker sores? Learn how to get rid of them at home (and when you should see a doctor)
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This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS and by How.com.vn staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Sarah Gehrke is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Massage Therapist in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008 and a M.S. in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2013.
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Ouch! Is that a canker sore you just noticed in your mouth? Despite their small size, mouth ulcers can cause some serious pain and add a lot of discomfort to your day-to-day routine. Although the medical community doesn’t officially know what causes these pesky flare-ups, they do know how to make these annoying sores go away. We’re here to walk you through a variety of natural and medical treatments, so you can go back to feeling pain-free as soon as possible.
Things You Should Know
- Swish a saltwater solution several times a day to help promote healing for your canker sore.
- Swab honey over the surface of the mouth ulcer after each major meal. Honey helps get rid of the pain, and it may help the sore go away more quickly.
- Eliminate the pain immediately with an OTC topical anesthetic, or take an OTC painkiller to help manage the discomfort.
- Switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush and stay away from spicy or acidic foods to help your canker sore heal.
Steps
Use topical anesthetics to relieve the pain. If you can't get rid of your mouth ulcer as soon as you'd like, focus on improving your comfort instead. Apply an OTC numbing gel directly to your canker sore to get some instant relief.[1]- Orabase is a great medication to consider for this.
- If the pain is really bad, an OTC painkiller like acetaminophen might be helpful.
Take vitamin supplements like vitamin B12 and vitamin C. Double-check with your doctor to make sure that these vitamins are a safe addition to your diet, and consult the bottle for exact dosage instructions. According to certain research, vitamin C can help reduce canker sores and prevent them from coming back—plus, it’s medically established that people with low vitamin B12 levels are more at risk for canker sores.[2]Advertisement
Rinse with mild mouthwash. Rinse out your mouth to clear out any aggravating bacteria and potentially ease the pain of the sore. Any mouthwash will work for this purpose—just make sure that it doesn’t have any alcohol in it, which may aggravate your sore.[3]
See your doctor if the sores stick around longer than 2 weeks. Most small canker sores heal on their own in a week or two.[4] You may need medical help if you have multiple ulcers, very large ulcers, your pain is severe, your sores do not heal after 3 weeks or they spread, or you develop a fever.[5] See your doctor or your dentist—there are many medications and treatments that can help.- Your doctor or dentist can help you make sure your problem is actually a mouth ulcer, and not a tooth abscess or a rare form of oral cancer.
- Ask your doctor about prescription medications that could help with your canker sores. They might also be able to prescribe a medicated mouth rinse.[6]
Get your ulcers medically cauterized. Your doctor may cauterize your ulcers with a chemical or instrument. This destroys the damaged tissue, and may relieve pain and speed healing. Ask your doctor or dentist if this option is right for you.[7]
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Rinse your mouth with a saltwater solution 4 times per day. Stir ¼ tsp (1.5 g) of salt into 1 cup (250 mL) of warm water, letting the salt dissolve completely. Swish the solution in your mouth from side to side, then spit it into the sink. Just be sure not to swallow it![8]- Saltwater may help your canker sore start to heal and improve.[9]
Apply honey to the canker sore after you eat. Whenever you finish a meal, rub a little bit of honey onto your mouth ulcer using a cotton swab. According to one study, honey aided with pain and helped remarkably speed up the healing process (even more quickly than OTC paste or prescription steroid cream).[10]- Make sure that your honey is real and not made with artificial ingredients.
Rub a layer of baking soda paste on top of the canker sore. Mix water and baking soda together to create a thin paste. Using a clean finger, coat the surface of your mouth ulcer with the baking soda paste.[11] You don’t have to worry about rinsing the paste out.- The baking soda can may help your ulcer feel less sore.
Apply liquid myrrh to the sore spot. Following the dosage instructions on the bottle, coat the surface of the canker sore with liquid myrrh. According to some medical experts, myrrh is a viable treatment for canker sores as well as other mouth-related inflammation.[12]- Liquid myrrh isn’t suitable for kids under the age of 12.
Drape a moist tea bag over the mouth ulcer. Dip a green tea or black tea bag under a little bit of running water so it’s damp. Then, place the tea bag on top of the ulcer for a short while to help ease the pain and promote healing.[13]- Both green and black tea have anti-inflammatory benefits, but green tea is especially effective.[14]
Swab diluted hydrogen peroxide and milk of magnesia onto the ulcer. Combine equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide together in a small cup. Using a clean cotton swab, dab the mixture onto your mouth ulcer. Then, dip the clean end of a cotton swab into a milk of magnesia bottle and carefully dab it on the sore again. Feel free to apply this combo 3-4 times each day to help you manage the pain.[15]
Switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush. A toothbrush slipping and scraping your mouth can cause an ulcer, and can definitely make a pre-existing one hurt more. Avoid aggravating your sore by using a toothbrush with soft bristles, and try to avoid touching the sore as well.[16]- Make sure that your toothpaste and mouthwash doesn’t have an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which can lead to mouth ulcers.[17]
Suck on ice chips to help numb the pain of your sore. Ice pops and/or frozen fruit juice are other great alternatives that can help soothe your mouth ulcer.[18]- If ice chips are too cold for you, try to at least drink cool beverages through a straw.
Stay away from acidic and spicy foods. Spicy, acidic, and abrasive foods can irritate the sore, which causes pain and may delay healing. Instead, eat bland and soft foods to let your ulcer heal.[19]- Avoid carbonated drinks, citrus fruits, hard foods like toasted bread, and anything with a lot of salt or spice.
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionHow long do they usually take to go away?
Sarah Gehrke, RN, MSSarah Gehrke is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Massage Therapist in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008 and a M.S. in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2013.
Registered NurseSmall mouth sores will usually go away on their own in about 1-2 weeks. Some might take just a few days. If the sore gets worse or lasts longer than a few weeks, you should have it looked at by a healthcare professional. - QuestionCan you get an ulcer from having too many sweets or too much sugar?Sarah Gehrke, RN, MSSarah Gehrke is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Massage Therapist in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008 and a M.S. in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2013.
Registered NurseIt's possible. Not brushing your teeth after eating sweets could cause an ulcer, or repeatedly eating or sucking on a hard piece of candy or a mint. People that suffer from candida or diabetes should especially avoid eating too many sweets, as it can cause oral thrush.
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Tips
- Canker sores are not the same thing as cold sores. Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus, while canker sores are not.[20]Thanks
- If your canker sores are related to another illness, you will need to treat the underlying cause to prevent ulcers from recurring.[21]Thanks
- Mouth ulcers typically heal on their own in around 1-2 weeks.[22]Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003059.htm
- ↑ https://nutritionfacts.org/2022/10/25/how-to-treat-canker-sores/
- ↑ https://ufhealth.org/canker-sore
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003059.htm
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/canker-sores-and-dental-health
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/canker-sore/basics/treatment/con-20021262
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/canker-sore/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20370620
- ↑ https://www.evpdental.com.au/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-mouth-ulcers-fast
- ↑ http://conditions.health.qld.gov.au/HealthCondition/condition/18/155/98/mouth-sores
- ↑ https://nutritionfacts.org/2021/07/06/treating-canker-sores-with-honey/
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003059.htm
- ↑ https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-summary/myrrh-summary-public_en.pdf
- ↑ https://www.medanta.org/patient-education-blog/mouth-ulcers-or-canker-sores-causes-types-treatment/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401676/
- ↑ https://ufhealth.org/canker-sore
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003059.htm
- ↑ https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2019-07-08-otc-oral-health.aspx
- ↑ https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=uh3707
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003059.htm
- ↑ https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/july/cold-sores-and-canker-sores
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/canker-sore/basics/treatment/con-20021262
- ↑ https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/july/cold-sores-and-canker-sores
About This Article
Registered Nurse
This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS and by How.com.vn staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Sarah Gehrke is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Massage Therapist in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008 and a M.S. in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2013. This article has been viewed 4,206,465 times.
Co-authors: 131
Updated: October 26, 2023
Views: 4,206,465
Categories: Mouth Disorders
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
Article SummaryX
The fastest way to get rid of a mouth ulcer is to apply a mix of equal parts water and 3% hydrogen peroxide twice a day. Dab the solution onto the sore with a cotton swab and hold it there for a minute. To clean out bacteria, dissolve 1-2 spoonfuls of salt in a glass of warm water and swish it around in your mouth after meals and before bed. Place an ice chip on the sore to relieve pain fast, and avoid spicy and citrus foods. Read on for more at home remedies and professional solutions in case these don’t do the trick.
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