20 Home Remedies for Canker Sores - Canker Sores

Home Remedies From the Cupboard
Baking soda. Make a baking soda and water paste and apply to the canker. Baking soda is also a component of a canker sore mouth rinse (see "Salt", below).

Cranberry juice. Drink this juice between meals: It's both a pain reliever and canker healer.

Honey. Mix 1 teaspoon honey with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and dab it on your canker. This one may sting a bit.

Salt. Combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 ounces hydrogen peroxide. Mix and rinse your mouth with it four times daily. If the taste is too strong, or the tingle uncomfortable, dilute with 2 ounces water. You can also just rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water. Or, if you're brave, just apply a little salt directly to your wound.

Tea. Moisten a regular tea bag and apply it directly to the canker. The tannic acid will help dry it out.

Home Remedies From the Freezer
Ice. This won't make the canker disappear, but it will sure make it feel better. Simply apply ice or rinse your mouth with ice water.

Home Remedies From the Spice Rack
Cayenne pepper. Cayenne contains capsaicin, a constituent that temporarily desensitizes the nerves that cause pain. That's why cayenne pepper is in some candy recipes designed to relieve canker sore pain. This type of candy is also used to relieve mouth sores from chemotherapy and radiation, too. Be careful, though, as capsaicin may be too irritating for some people.

Sage. Used most often to spice up turkey stuffing, this herb can be used to calm an angry canker. Simply add 3 teaspoons sage leaves to 1 pint boiling water. Steep, covered, for 15 minutes. Rinse your mouth with the liquid several times a day. You can also rub sage leaves into a powder and apply them directly to your sore.

Home Remedies From the Supplement Shelf
Minerals. A mineral deficiency is suspected of being a cause of canker sores. Make sure you get enough of the right minerals in your diet by checking with your doctor.

Vitamins. A vitamin deficiency is also suspected of being a cause of canker sores. Make sure you get enough vitamins in your diet by consulting your doctor.

Home Remedies From the Windowsill
Aloe. That beautiful aloe plant sitting on your sill has some quite potent curative powers. A little aloe juice from the juicy inner portion of the leaf rinsed over the canker several times daily could be just what you need.

Canker sores can be a painful nuisance, but there are simple, everyday home remedies you can use to relieve some of the discomfort. Using the advice in this article, you should have no problem keeping your mouth healthy.