Canker sores, technically known as aphthous ulcers, are nasty sore spots that crop up inside the mouth. Unlike cold sores, canker sores are not infectious. Sometimes people have a hard time figuring out what triggered a canker sore. In other cases, though, they know right away that biting their cheek or brushing their teeth too vigorously preceded the sore spot. Is there a good remedy for canker sores?
Kiwifruit as a Remedy for Canker Sores:
Q. I get canker sores when my system is too acidic from eating lots of sweets and simple carbs. One to two kiwis a day heals them overnight.
A. You are not the only one to find that sweets can trigger canker sores. Nor are you the only one to find kiwifruit helpful as a remedy for canker sores.
Many readers report that kiwifruit speeds healing of canker sores inside the mouth. We could find no scientific support for this home remedy, but it seems benign as long as you are not allergic to kiwifruit.
Other Remedies for Canker Sores:
Don’t overlook other possible remedies. You may wish to look at other potential causes of canker sores so you can eliminate them to the extent possible.
One reader cautioned:
“I am a practicing general dentist and I’d like to advise all of the readers that DO get canker sores to immediately change their toothpaste. Nearly every name brand toothpaste contains sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) – a common detergent. Turn over your bottle of hair shampoo. One of the first three ingredients will be SLS. This ingredient throws off the balance of your mouth and your body then needs to repopulate certain bacteria and neutralize your mouth. For some people, the temporary imbalance can yield canker sores.
“Weleda, JASON, Burt’s Bees and Dr. Ken’s are a few of the companies who manufacture SLS-free toothpaste. Switch your toothpaste and you will notice a serious drop in canker sores.”
Karen confessed:
“I am gluten intolerant and end up with a canker sore in my mouth when I have eaten gluten by mistake.”
Jim offered a completely different remedy for canker sores:
“I’ve always used powdered alum (a spice used in pickling) for canker sores – wet finger slightly, dip in powder and press on sore. Let spittle drain into sink for about a minute. Rinse. I think it puffs up the sore, allowing it to heal, but it probably has some analgesic properties as well. I seem to get canker sores when traveling, so I keep a little container of powder with me.”
A few years ago, we wrote about sixteen home remedies people like to use to treat canker sores. Tell us about your favorite in the comment section below.
