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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

To help relieve pain and speed healing:

  • Rinse your mouth. Use salt water; baking soda (dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda in 1/2 cup warm water); or a mixture of 1 part — such as 1 teaspoon — diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to either 1 part Kaopectate or 1 part Maalox. Be sure to spit out the mixtures after rinsing.
  • Dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on your canker sore a few times a day.
  • Cover canker sores with a paste made of baking soda plus a small amount of water — just enough to make a paste.
  • Try over-the-counter products that contain the numbing agent benzocaine, such as Anbesol and Orajel.
  • Avoid abrasive, acidic or spicy foods that can cause further irritation and pain.
  • Apply ice to your canker sores by allowing ice chips to slowly dissolve over the sores.
  • Brush your teeth gently, using a soft brush and toothpaste without foaming agents, such as Biotene, Sensodyne ProNamel or Rembrandt Canker Sore.
Prevention Treatments and drugs
References
  1. Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
  2. Long SS, et al., eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/174218004-3/925169573/1679/31.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06687-0..50030-8--cesec16_721. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
  3. Flint PW, et al. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..X0001-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05283-2&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
  4. Canker sores, cold sores & common mouth sores. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2982.aspx?currentTab=1. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
  5. Stomatitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dental_disorders/symptoms_of_dental_and_oral_disorders/stomatitis.html. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
  6. Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-2/0/1494/0.html. Accessed Feb. 6, 2012.
  7. Goldstein BG, et al. Oral lesions. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 6, 2012.
  8. AskMayoExpert. Recurrent aphthous ulcers. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2011.
  9. Morelli V, et al. Alternative therapies for common dermatologic disorders, part 2. Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice. 2010;37:285.
  10. Bailey J, et al. What is the most effective way to treat recurrent canker sores? The Journal of Family Practice. 2011;60:621.
  11. Messadi DV, et al. Aphthous ulcers. Dermatologic Therapy. 2010;23:281.
  12. Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 21, 2012.
DS00354 March 24, 2012

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