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Canker Sore Treatments

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Canker Sore Treatments

Before deciding on a treatment method, it is important to understand that for most people a canker sore will heal on its own usually taking from one to three weeks. In this situation, treatment usually focuses on faster healing and reducing the pain. There are many canker sore treatments available ranging from prescriptions, over-the-counter and home remedies. Non prescription drugs and home remedies are sometimes used to reduce the pain of canker sores, though in many cases their efficacy varies from patient to patient and their duration of effect is relatively short with the exception of Canker Cover (more on this below).

Some examples of canker sore pain relievers are:

• Reducing intake of spicy foods
• Salt water rinses or consumer mouth rinses with alcohol
• Proper oral hygiene
• Canker Cover, an oral patch that stops pain and helps the sore heal quickly
• OraMed, an organic liquid that stops mouth sore pain and promotes healing
• Anbesol, Orajel, Orabase, Kanka (focus on reducing pain and discomfort)
• Benzocaine and Benzydamine (the active ingredients in non prescription local anaesthetics)
• Antimicrobial mouthwashes

It should be noted that Canker Cover represents a new approach to treatment. Most non-prescription treatments focus exclusively on pain and discomfort relief. Canker Cover is not a gel or liquid. It is a small pill like patch, or disc, made from edible ingredients. It sticks to the canker sore and then forms a clear, gel patch that lasts 8 - 12 hours. The patch protects the sore from irritants - food, drink, braces, etc., and releases nutrients that support healing. In both published studies, the vast majority of patients' canker sores were healed within 24 hours.

Home remedies are very popular as the emergence of natural healing becomes more widespread. Some home remedies for canker sores have more efficacy than others, and some depend on the person and their particular condition. Before trying any home remedies, consult your physician.

Here are some popular home remedies for reducing the pain and frequency of canker sores:

• Diet change to exclude gluten (found in pastries and breads, gluten free products are available)
• Salt water mouth rinse to reduce duration of canker sore
• Liquorice root applied to canker sore to reduce duration
• 1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution applied to canker sore to reduce duration
• Lysine based products to reduce duration, size and frequency
• Increase in vitamin B12, folic acid and iron intake to reduce canker sore frequency
• Milk of magnesium applied to the canker sore

In cases of recurring, major or herpetiform ulcers, your physician may prescribe you medication. Prescription medications for canker sores are usually last resort treatments. Your physician will usually try other healing techniques before starting a prescription drug routine.

Some common prescription medications are:

• Oral steroids - corticosteroids to control symptoms
• Tetracycline - controversial antibiotic for extreme canker sore cases
• Colchicines

When to Seek Medical Help

Although canker sores usually heal on their own and require no medical attention, there are cases where you should consult your physician. Consulting your physician for a proper diagnosis of a canker sore is also acceptable, at which time he or she may recommend some treatment options. Below are some conditions in which consulting your physician should be a priority:

• Your canker sores are large - larger than a dime and extremely painful, particularly if they are irregularly shaped.
• Fever coinciding with canker sore outbreaks
• Canker sores that last more than 3-4 weeks
• Canker sores that extend on to the lips
• Unbearable pain while eating or drinking
• Continuously recurring canker sores
• Large clusters of tiny canker sores in one area of the mouth

In many of these cases, your doctor may find a serious underlying condition that may otherwise have gone undetected. For this reason, all persistent symptoms should be immediately reported to your physician.

Next: How to Prevent a Canker Sore

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Canker Sore Treatments