Home Remedies for CANKER SORES / MOUTH ULCERS

 

CANKER SORES / MOUTH ULCERS

 

 

Painful ulcers or canker sores are sometimes found within the mouth. Usually there is only one ulcer, but occassionally several ulcers may develop at once. These may arise from several different causes, such as poor oral hygiene, nutritional deficiencies, worry, insufficient rest and heavy smoking. Any slight pressure on the gums may cause bleeding.

 

Ulcerations may form on the gums and about the mouth, particularly between the teeth. Swallowing and talking are painful, there may be excessive salivation and bad breath, and the inflammation may extend to the tonsils and throat. A mild fever may be present in this condition. The first sign of the sore may be a tingling, burning sensation inside the mouth. They can occur either singly or in groups. They are usually white or yellow in color, surrounded by red halos. Usually they heal within 7 to 10 days. The recurrent, bothersome form of mouth ulcers is known as recurrent apthous stomatitis or simply apthous ulcer. They take several more days to heal.

 

There may be a family history to develop canker sores, as they often run in families. Mouth ulcers may develop in response to a mouth injury such as dental procedures or aggressive tooth cleaning. Canker sores may also occur at the site of a bite when the tongue or cheek is bitten. They can be triggered by emotional stress, dietary deficiencies (especially iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12), menstrual periods, hormonal changes, food allergies, and similar situations. They occur most commonly with viral infections.

 

The membrane of the mouth may be very dry or exceedingly moist. There is pain on nursing, eating or drinking; the pain varies according to the condition or stage of the disease. The pains may be sharp or sticking if the mouth is dry or smarting and raw if the mouth is full of saliva. These ulcers may be broad and superficial or deep and narrow. Small ulcers may combine together and may form large ulcers on the side of the tongue or in the buccal cavities.

 

Severe Cases

Severe cases of ulcers in the mouth may require more strenuous treatments like antibiotics (tetracycline) or steroids (dexamethasone elixir). If the pain is particularly severe you may be given a local anesthetic such as lidocaine or the physician may cauterize the sores with a laser or silver nitrate to close them and to facilitate healing. Sulphuric acid solutions like debacterol may also be used as a treatment.

HOME REMEDIES FOR MOUTH ULCERS

Remedies for Canker sores

Some of the effective home remedies for canker sores are as follows:- Rinse your mouth with aloe juice frequently

Put some alum on the canker sores. Repeat this twice a day. It helps to relieve the pain and quickens healing. Apply some baking powder on the sores. It could be used either in the powdered form or in the paste form. It will reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth, Rinse your mouth several times a day by a mouthwash prepared by mixing one tsp. of baking soda in half cup of warm water, Prepare a mouthwash by putting 5 to 6 drops of Grapefruit seed extract in a glass of water. Rinse your mouth with this at least once in a day. It is an excellent disinfectant, Prepare a mouthwash using three parts of water and one part of hydrogen peroxide. Use this mouthwash twice a day,

 

Onion is another excellent home remedy for canker sores. Apply some raw onions to the sores, Rinse your mouth with plum juice. If the sore is too bad then apply the juice on the sore using a cotton ball, Eat fresh papaya fruit or chew fresh papaya leaves. If fresh papaya leaves or papaya fruits are not available then you can also use papaya tablets, Gargle your mouth with a solution made by mixing 1 tsp soda and 1 pinch of salt in a cup of warm water, Apply tea tree oil to the sores, Rinse your mouth three to four times a day with a solution made by mixing 2 tbsp. salt to 6 ounces of warm water, Apply some powdered Goldenseal powder to the sore or rinse your mouth with a mouthwash prepared by mixing ½ tsp Goldenseal powder to ¼ tsp salt and 1 cup of warm water.

 

• Eat plenty of salad with raw onions. Onions contain sulfur and have healing properties.
• Diet should include yogurt and other soured products, such as cottage cheese, and buttermilk.
• Prepare a solution by adding 2 oz hydrogen peroxide, 2 oz water, and 1 tsp each of salt and baking soda. Rinse the mouth with this solution. Do not swallow. This is very useful home remedy for mouth ulcers.
• Rinse your mouth with milk of magnesia to coat sores.
• Orange juice is helpful in preventing the canker sores of the mouth. Drink it up in 2 or 3 days it will go away. Lack of vitamin C causes them. You can also take Vitamin C pills if you don't want to drink all that orange juice.
• Cover the ulcer with a wet tea bag; the tannin will help dry up the sore.
• Mix Sodium bicarbonate powder with water. It is a very effective first aid remedy. This mixture can be used as a mouth rinse as well as swallowed to help make the body more alkaline.
• Use a toothpaste containing sodium bicarbonate instead of the standard toothpastes high in fluoride and other chemicals.
• Antacids can soothe canker sores by reducing the acidity in your mouth that can irritate them. 
• Combine equal parts of the liquid form of Kaopectate or Milk of Magnesia (both antacids) with Benylin or Benadryl (both mild anesthetics). Apply the mixture to the canker sore with a cotton swab. You'll cut down on painful acidity in your mouth and numb the sore too.
• Try stress-relieving acupressure exercises. Avoid constant stress. Take time to exercise, sleep and relax.
• Avoid eating fish or meat of any kind for two weeks. The consumption of animal protein increases the body's acidity, which slows healing.
• Avoid chewing gum, lozenges, mouthwashes, tobacco, coffee, citrus fruits, and any other foods that you know trigger these sores.
• Avoid hard toothbrush bristles or sharp-edged foods such as potato chips or dry bread crusts. Too much acid from fruits and vegetables, and spicy foods can also trigger mouth sores.
• Keep the bowels regular to prevent toxic buildup. Walk regularly walking in fresh air to oxygenate the body and stimulate bowel movement.
• To avoid getting canker sores, it is important to maintain a proper balance of minerals, acidity, and alkalinity in the body.
• For mouth ulcer treatment do not use the same toothbrush for longer than one month.
• Application of peppermint oil helps, as it is an anesthetic agent.
• For mouth ulcer treatment mix coconut milk with honey and massage the gums 3 times a day.
• Take 1 tsp finely powdered Indian Gooseberry root bark, mix with honey. Apply to affected areas frequently
• Grate some fresh coconut. Extract the milk and gargle with this 3-4 times a day.
• Keep 1 glass of chilled water and 1 glass of hot water ready at hand. Gargle alternately with hot and cold water.
• Boil 2 cups of water. Add 1-cup fenugreek leaves and remove. Cover and keep for sometime. Strain the water and gargle 2-3 times a day. This is also very useful home remedy for mouth ulcers.
• Boil 1 tsp of coriander seeds in 1 cup of water. Remove when slightly warm gargle. Repeat 3-4 times a day.
• Chew on 5-6 tulsi (holy basil leaves) and sip some water. Repeat 5-6 times a day.
• Raw tomatoes help rid mouth ulcers. Gargle with tomato juice 3-4 times a day also helps.
• Mix 7 parts of sugar candy (mishri) with 1 part of camphor. Apply on the blister.
• Mix a pinch of turmeric powder to 1 teaspoon of glycerin and apply.
• Avoid hot or spicy foods to minimize discomfort. Mild mouth washes such as salt water or over-the-counter mouthwashes may help.
• For mouth ulcer treatment apply hydrogen peroxide (1 part hydrogen peroxide and one part water with a cotton swab) on the canker sore
• Pouring salt directly on the ulcer can prove effective, however this can be extremely painful and can scar.
• Rinse mouth and especially the affected area with sage tea 3 times a day. The improvement can be seen within 24 hours.
• Gargle a mouthful of warm vinegar with half tablespoon of salt for about 30 secs, 3 times a day. Extremely painful but healing can be seen in about 2 days.
• Make a paste of baking soda and water—apply directly to the sores

Diet for Canker sores

Eat foods rich in vitamin B. Foods like whole grain and green leafy vegetables are good sources of vitamin B. Eat easily digestible foods, well cooked soft grains and light cooked vegetables. Eat yogurt daily. Active acidophilus in yogurt helps to heal and prevent the outbreak of canker sores. Avoid foods like coffee, citrus fruits and spices, as they may irritate your mouth. Spicy and acidic foods increase the pain; it is advisable to avoid them. Avoid hard foods like chips, wafers and nuts. Avoid diary products, salty foods, sweet foods, oily foods, and animal protein.

Suggestions for Canker sores

Do not eat and chew simultaneously. Brush your teeth regularly after meals. Application of ice eases the pain caused by Canker sores.

When Do I Need to Visit a Dentist?

Be aware that ulcers in the mouth can indicate more serious conditions including the yeast infection known as thrush and other oral inflammatory disorders. Even problems in the bowel, like ulcerative colitis can cause outbreaks in the mouth. As a general rule of thumb, if your mouth ulcers do not respond to home remedies, do not heal after two weeks, or immediately reappear, it would be a good idea to visit your dental care physician.

Thankfully, however, aphthous stomatitis rarely represents a serious problem. Normally ulcers in the mouth are an irritation, albeit a painful one, that will respond to time and to simple home remedies.