Alternative Medicine for a Canker Sore

Canker sores are small, relatively harmless ulcers that can form on the inside of your mouth after some kind of irritation. They can be caused by hot or spicy food, braces or brushing your teeth with a prickly toothbrush. While they will usually go away on their own in about a week, a few alternative medicine techniques can speed up the healing process.

Relief

• Canker sores are fickle, and you may have to experiment a bit before you find a home remedy that works for you. A cheap way to relieve the pain of a canker sore is to press a moist black tea bag against the sore. Black tea contains tannins, which have pain-relieving properties. Rinsing your mouth out with 1 tbsp. of hydrogen peroxide diluted in 1 cup of water will help disinfect your mouth. Alcohol-free mouth washes, available at any drug store, have a similar effect. A rinse of warm salt water will dry out the canker sore and encourage healing.

  Applying a liquid OTC canker sore gel to your sore is a quick fix for protecting your sore from citrus and other foods. The gel stings at first, but it quickly hardens into a shield over the ulcer. Pop a few vitamin C supplements for good measure, and your cold sore should begin to heal.

Irritants

• The amino acid arginine can provoke canker sores, so it's best to avoid eating foods with high levels of arginine when you have a canker sore. Some of these foods include nuts, chocolate, coffee, gelatin and whole wheat. Eating a cup a day of unsweetened yogurt can help keep bad bacteria out of your mouth.
  Be gentle when brushing your teeth, as poking the sore with your toothbrush will only keep it inflamed.