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Canker Sores Home Remedies
Information
No one knows for sure why some people get canker sores and others don't. Heredity, certain foods, overly aggressive toothbrushing, ill-fitting dentures, chewing on the inside of your mouth, and emotional stress can all lead to painful, crater-like canker sores.
Whatever the cause, medicating a canker sore is a difficult task, says Robert Goepp, D.D.S., Ph.D. Nothing sticks well to the skin in your mouth, and it's one of the most bacteria-laden places in the body. Remedies have a double-barreled aim: to protect the sore, thus minimizing pain, and to kill the organisms.
The good news is that canker sores tend to be more prevalent in young people, becoming much less frequent with age. But meanwhile, a mouthful of sores can make you miserable. Here are a few escape routes.
When to call a doctor
A canker sore should heal within 2 weeks. "If the sores last a long time or you are unable to eat, speak, or sleep properly, you should see a doctor or dentist," advises Robert Goepp, D.D.S., Ph.D. He will probably prescribe topical steroids or oral antibiotics.
Panel of Advisors
Robert Goepp, D.D.S., Ph.D., is a professor emeritus in the departments of surgery and pathology, specializing in oral pathology at the University of Chicago Medical Center and Hospital in Illinois.
Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., is a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. He is the author of Your Skin: From Acne to Zits and Drug Eruption Reference Manual a yearly manual now in its fifteenth edition that catalogs all the rashes you can get from more than 1,000 drugs.
Harold R. Stanley, D.D.S., is a professor emeritus of dentistry at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville.
Andrew Weil, M.D., is a clinical professor of medicine and director of the program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He is the author of several books, including 8 Weeks to Optimum Health; Natural Health, Natural Medicine and Healthy Aging.
Craig Zunka, D.D.S., is a dentist in Front Royal, Virginia, and is past president and advisor to the Board of the Holistic Dental Association. He also is a diplomate of the Board of Dental Homeopathy.
Remedies
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Ease pain with alum
Alum is the active ingredient in a styptic pencil, an old-fashioned medicine cabinet standby for cuts and shaving nicks.
Aspirin Remedy
Use a spoon to crush a non coated aspirin. Mix a little bit of crushed aspirin with a few drops of water to form a paste. Apply to the canker sore. It should form a coating over the sore.
Banish bad bacteria with yogurt
Eating 4 tablespoons of unflavored yogurt a day may help prevent canker sores by sending in helpful bacteria to counter the "bad" bacteria in your mouth, says Jerome Z. Litt, M.D.
Use a bubbly rinse
Carbamide peroxide is the generic form of an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that combines glycerin and peroxide, such as Gly-Oxide.
Choose the right ingredients
Look for over-the-counter canker sore medications that contain benzocaine, menthol, camphor, or eucalyptol.
Apply a protective coating
Some OTC pastes form a protective "bandage" over the sore. To get pastes like Orabase to work, dry the sore with one end of a cotton swab, then immediately apply the paste with the other end.
Try tea to soothe soreness
Several experts, among them dermatologist Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., recommend applying a wet, black tea bag to the ulcer.
Disinfect your mouth
Dilute 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in a glass of water and swish it around in your mouth to disinfect the sore and speed healing, says Dr. Goepp.
Use Mylanta as a mouth rinse
Don't swallow your Mylanta or milk of magnesia. Instead, swish it around your mouth and allow it to protectively coat the sore before spitting it out.
Try goldenseal
Make a strong tea of goldenseal root (available at health food stores) and use it as a mouthwash. Or you can make a paste with a bit of water and apply it directly.
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Brush carefully
Ease pain with alum
Use a bubbly rinse