What Causes Canker Sores?

Canker Sore Treatment

Although no one really knows what causes them, thankfully there are a number of things you can do for canker sore treatment. That’s good news for anyone who’s ever had one, and wondered how to get rid of a canker sore. Although the best treatment is ultimately time (most sores go away in between 3 to 14 days), some people have found canker sore relief by mixing a salt water solution (about 8 ounces of water with ½ a teaspoon of salt dissolved in it) and rinsing their mouth with 1-2 times daily. Some people also find that rinsing with over-the-counter mouthwashes once or twice daily helps make the sore go away faster. A canker sore remedy that uses equal parts hydrogen peroxide (a common household disinfectant) and water (2 ounces peroxide to 2 ounces water, for example) to rinse the mouth may also help—but be sure not to swallow the mixture! If you need something stronger, most drugstores sell a number of topical ointments that can be applied directly to the canker sore. Common ones are Orabase and Anbesol, although all of these contain a numbing ingredient (benzocaine is the most common) which will help bring immediate pain relief. Regardless of which canker sore cure method you choose, you’ll want to avoid spicy food and stuff like lemons (duh!) as long as you have that open sore in your mouth, for obvious reasons. Because of the large number of possible complications, you should seek professional canker sore treatment if your sores are larger than a few millimeters in size, or if they last for longer than two weeks.