Different treatments may work better for some people than others. If you get a canker sore, you might want to try several of these treatments to see which one best relieves your discomfort:
- Dilute one part hydrogen peroxide with one part water. Use a Q-tip to dab mixture on the canker sore. Next, dab a little milk of magnesia with a Q-tip onto the sore. Repeat two or three times a day. While this remedy is very soothing, some research suggests that this treatment could possibly speed up the healing process of canker sores.
- Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash such as Crest Pro Health or Listerine.
- Use Tylenol or Ibuprofen for pain relief.
- Avoid hot and spicy foods and foods with sharp crunchy edges, such as nacho chips, which can poke into the canker sore. Ouch.
- Avoid acidic foods or beverages such as orange juice. Anything acidic produces a burning sensation when it comes into contact with the sore. Trust me on this one.
- Let ice chips melt on the canker sore. This might help the discomfort a little.
Many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy develop a lot of canker sores. If this is the case with you or someone you know, your doctor or dentist can give you a prescription for a mouth rinse that might help more than over the counter products.
All of the patients that I spoke with, who developed canker sores while undergoing chemotherapy, told me that the prescription mouth rinse called Duke's Magic Mouthwash worked the best for relieving their canker sore pain.
