How to Help Heal a Canker Sore

Canker sores are also called aphthous ulcers. They appear as small painful sores inside the mouth on the tongue, cheeks or lips. They typically appear alone, but can present in small clusters. These small sores usually heal on their own after 4 to 14 days, but you can speed healing and prevent the painful sores from affecting daily life.

Things You'll Need

• Doctor recommended over-the-counter canker sore medication
• L-lysine supplement
• Tea bags
• Salt
• Baking soda

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Instructions

• 1

  Use your doctor-recommended topical remedy as instructed on the packaging. These are often the most effective means to relieve canker sore pain and speed healing.

• 2

  Hold a tea bag against the sore for a few minutes. The tannins in tea can temporarily relieve pain and may speed the healing process

• 3

  Take between 500 to 1000mg of L-lysine supplement daily during an outbreak. L-lysine is an essential amino acid that promotes tissue health and is often recommended by doctors to speed the healing of canker sores.

• 4

  Avoid spicy and acidic foods. Foods like orange juice will irritate the affected area and can lengthen the outbreak.

• 5

  Creating a gently mouth rinse of salt, baking soda and warm water will help to keep your mouth clean and free of irritants that may prolong the canker sore outbreak.

• 6

  Reduce your stress. While the exact cause of canker sores are not known, they do seem to have some correlation to stress and reducing your stress may lessen the extent of outbreaks.

• 7

  Take immune supplements like vitamin C or B. There is some indication that canker sores may be related to poor immune function, so improving your immune system may help speed the healing of canker sores.