Canker Sore Relief

Overview

Canker sores, also called aphthous ulcers, are small with a white or gray coloring and a red border and occur inside the mouth. According to the American Dental Association, canker sores can appear alone or with other canker sores. They usually heal within two weeks but can recur and are very painful. Canker sore relief can come from topical gels, mouth rinses, medications and nutritional supplements and vitamins.

Topical Gels and Pastes

According to the Mayo Clinic, over-the-counter and prescription pastes provide canker sore relief. "Orabase, triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog in Orabase), amlexanox (Aphthasol) and fluocinonide (Lidex) can help relieve pain and speed healing if applied to individual lesions as soon as they appear."

Debacterol is a topical solution also used to treat canker sores. It chemically cauterizes lesions and reduces healing time.

Mouth Rinses

If suffering from quite a few canker sores, the Mayo Clinic says doctors may prescribe a mouth rinse containing dexamethasone, a steroid, to reduce pain and inflammation. The antibiotic tetracycline can also be used.

Oral Medication

According to the Mayo Clinic, canker sores are sometimes treated by drugs used for other ailments. The heartburn drug cimetidine (Tagamet) and gout medicine colchicine are examples.

Ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be taken to help relieve canker sore pain.

Nutritional Supplements, Vitamins and Herbs

In "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," James and Phyllis Balch recommend acidophilus, lysine, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B complex, garlic, a multivitamin and vitamin A. They suggest the following herbs to cleanse the bloodstream: burdock, goldenseal and red clover. Warm salt water rinses also help.

Acidophilus maintains the balance of intestinal bacteria. Lysine is an amino acid. Vitamin B complex is needed for the function of the immune system and healing, while Vitamin C aids the immune system. Zinc boosts the immune system and helps the body heal. Vitamin A speeds the healing of mucous membranes.

Goldenseal extract is also known as tea tree oil. The Balches suggest applying it directly on canker sores a few times a day to provide relief and speed healing.

Considerations

Ongoing outbreaks of canker sores can be a symptom of an underlying illness, such as lupus, a yeast infection or AIDS, or a nutritional deficiency. See your doctor or dentist if canker sores occur often or take a long time to heal.

Prevention/Solution

"Prescription for Nutritional Healing" recommends a diet full of salad with raw onions, yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese. Sugar, citrus fruits and processed foods should be avoided. Consumption of fish and meat makes the body more acidic, which slows healing time, so consume less of these protein sources while canker sores are present.