Quick overview
Mouth ulcers—better known as canker sores—are small, white-to-yellow lesions with a red halo that flare up on the tongue, cheeks, gums, or lips. They are not contagious like cold sores, but they can make talking, brushing teeth, or enjoying your morning coffee painful.
Triggers range from spicy foods, sour foods, hot drinks, badly fitting dentures, and accidental cheek bites to vitamin B or iron deficiency, stress, and certain autoimmune diseases.
For most people the pain is worse in the first few days and the ulcer heals within 7-10 days, but relief can be sped up with simple home care—think salt water (½ teaspoon in half a cup of warm water) mouthwash, baking-soda paste, honey, coconut oil, or a topical mouth spray—plus over-the-counter gels and, in severe cases, prescription medical treatments.
Most people will encounter a mouth ulcer or canker sore at some point in their life & the discomfort they can bring. Within this article, we will list out common causes, prevention tips, and the best natural and medicinal treatments.
Key Takeaways
- Identify and avoid personal triggers
• Repeated ulcers often track back to irritation from certain foods (spicy, acidic, very hot food/drinks), SLS toothpaste, or trauma from a hard-bristle brush.
• Switch to a soft toothbrush, eat softer foods while healing, and limit rough snacks that scrape the sore. - Saltwater & other natural rinses work fast
• A salt mouthwash (½ teaspoon of salt stirred into warm water, swish 30 seconds) helps disinfect, reduce swelling, and shorten healing time.
• Complement with baking-soda paste, alum powder, or probiotic yogurt; all soothe tissue and rebalance oral pH. - Know when to escalate treatment
• Try OTC benzocaine gels, protective pastes, or antiseptic mouth spray for quick numbness.
• Severe cases, multiple ulcers, fungal infections, or sores lasting > 2 weeks warrant a dental/medical review to rule out nutritional gaps or more serious conditions.
What is a canker sore?
A mouth ulcer, also known as a canker sore, is a painful condition that involves the formation of a tiny lesion. Nevertheless, you may find a yellow or white lesion surrounded by a red ring around it in some instances.
The mouth ulcer becomes painful and bothersome in such cases, interfering with your eating routine. The condition can affect the tongue, lips, and gums, making it difficult to swallow food and drink.
The usual suspects of canker sores are the consumption of acidic or spicy foods, food allergies, poor dental hygiene, biting the tongue or cheeks, and stress, which can worsen the condition and nutritional deficiency of vitamins B and C. They usually take seven to ten days to heal completely on their own, but consistent or severe cases may require medical intervention.
Under such painful conditions, the only question that crosses your mind is, “How to get rid of mouth ulcers?” Several home remedies and medicinal treatments can help resolve the condition.
Distinguishing Canker Sores from Cold Sores
It’s easy to confuse canker sores with cold sores, but they are actually quite different. Canker sores, or aphthous ulcers, always appear inside the mouth—on the tongue, inner cheeks, lips, or gums. In contrast, cold sores usually show up on the outside of the mouth, such as the lips or the skin around the mouth. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are highly contagious, while canker sores are not contagious and have different triggers.
Common causes of canker sores include vitamin deficiencies, eating acidic foods, hormonal changes, or accidentally biting your cheek or tongue. Cold sores, on the other hand, often start with a tingling or burning sensation before the sore appears. Knowing the difference between these two types of sores is important, as it helps you choose the right treatment and avoid spreading cold sores to others.
Common causes for mouth ulcers
The causes of mouth ulcers include a variety of triggers such as stress, accidental injuries, irritation from certain chemicals, food sensitivities, vitamin deficiency, and underlying health conditions. Understanding the main causes of mouth ulcers can help in their prevention and management.
- Stress
Extreme stress might cause your immune system to degenerate. Acid reflux can cause canker sores by triggering a digestive imbalance.
- Certain injuries
Your gums and lips are prone to cuts and bruises. So, it would help if you were cautious when brushing your teeth. Canker sores can occur by aggressive tooth brushing. A sports injury or accidentally biting your cheek may also give rise to a painful condition.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Canker sores may occur due to a particular chemical additive found in toothpaste and mouthwash. So, if you have been looking for ways to “how to cure mouth ulcers fast naturally,” it is essential to avoid oral products containing SLS.
- Food sensitivities and allergies
A food sensitivity or allergy can also disrupt your immune response in the mouth. The most common offenders are strawberries, eggs, chocolate, nuts, coffee, and cheese.
- Vitamin deficiencies
In your diet, the deficiency of vitamin B-12 and minerals like folic acid, iron, etc., can give rise to an extremely painful lesion in your mouth.
- Miscellaneous
Several other factors may also cause canker sores, including hormones, smoking, certain drugs, alcohol, medications, colds, and several other factors.
How to cure & prevent mouth ulcers fast and naturally
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re wondering how to get rid of mouth ulcers:
- Try to prevent contact with your tongue
- Limit the intake of spicy, oily, and acidic foods.
- Keep your body well-hydrated by drinking enough fluids.
- Your body needs protein and vitamins to function correctly, so ensure you are consuming a well-balanced diet.
- Regularly take vitamins to help prevent vitamin deficiency.
- To reduce stress, engage in calming exercises
- Brush your teeth very cautiously.
- Avoid spicy, hot, and acidic foods and drinks.
- To relieve discomfort, use soothing gels, mouth rinses, or over-the-counter pain relief options.
If your mouth ulcers are persistent, consider consulting a healthcare professional, as a blood test may help identify underlying causes such as vitamin deficiency.
The best natural home remedies for canker sores
In most cases, a canker sore does not require any treatment, and it heals naturally. However, knowing some mouth ulcer home remedies can speed up the recovery process and even reduce inflammation. Mentioned below are some ways to cure mouth ulcers fast & naturally:
- Alum Powder
Alum Powder is used as an astringent that helps shrink the oral tissues, resulting in the lesion drying out. Apply a paste made with alum powder and a few drops of water to the sores, and then rinse your mouth thoroughly to clean the area.
- Salt Water Rinse
In a glass of lukewarm water, stir a tablespoon of salt and gargle with this liquid. The saline water relieves pain and discomfort associated with the mouth ulcer due to its antiseptic properties.
- Ice Cubes
Allow ice chips to dissolve in your mouth to relieve pain slowly. This method works for most people and helps them relax.
- Baking Soda
Baking soda, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, is best to treat mouth ulcers, as it can significantly reduce pain. You must mix baking soda and water to make a thick paste and apply this to the ulcer in your mouth. Once the paste dries out, rinse your mouth with water to clean the paste.
- Yogurt
Probiotic yogurt contains beneficial bacteria that help replenish your oral condition and may aid in treating canker sores. Probiotic yogurt contains beneficial bacteria that improve your oral and intestinal health by soothing the pain.
- Honey
Honey has numerous health benefits. Nevertheless, you may be startled to find that you can also use it to cure oral ulcers due to its antimicrobial properties. Applying honey to the oral ulcer can aid rapid healing and prevent further infection.
- Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has long been recognised for its ability to cure various health issues. Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial characteristics that can destroy the microorganisms that cause the ulcer. Rinse your mouth out with a teaspoon of apple cider and a half cup of lukewarm water to speed up the recovery process.
- Coconut oil
Coconut oil is mainly used for cooking foods or applied to hair. However, it can also be used to treat mouth ulcers. Apply a few drops of coconut oil to the treatment area and let it stay. Like honey, coconut oil also includes some antimicrobial properties, naturally reducing ulcers.
Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties also help in alleviating the pain.
- Turmeric powder
Turmeric powder has antimicrobial properties, and it helps reduce pain and inflammation caused by the sore. Apply turmeric powder paste with water and apply twice a day to see the result.
- Clove oil
Clove oil has several health benefits and is considered one of the most effective mouth ulcer home remedies. Clove contains eugenol and some antimicrobial properties that help alleviate pain and inflammation of the mouth ulcers.
The best canker sore medicinal products
Most mouth ulcers heal on their own within one to two weeks. However, if your mouth ulcers do not heal or keep coming back, further investigation may be needed to rule out underlying health issues.
Sometimes situations can run out of control, and home remedies aren’t enough to cure canker sore. So here’s how to heal a canker sore with medicine. However, you must consult with a physician before using these drugs. Persistent or unusual mouth ulcers could be a sign of mouth cancer and should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. In cases of persistent ulcers, your doctor may recommend a blood test to check for underlying health conditions or vitamin deficiency.
- OTC medication
Topical medicines in gels and ointments are found beneficial in curing mouth ulcers. Gels like Orajel can effectively reduce the pain and discomfort of the canker sore patches and heal the infection effectively. Excessive redness, puss discharge, and fever may signify disease requiring proper antibiotic treatment.
- Tums tablet
Most of the discomfort associated with a canker sore is due to the acid content present in your mouth. Take a Tums tablet and let it dissolve in your mouth. You may be able to lessen some of the discomforts as the pill will help neutralize the acids and eventually help cure the sore quicker.
- Oral Medic
Apply Oralmedic after drying the ulcer with a standard cotton bud and breaking one end of an Oralmedic stick. It relieves pain and seals the infected area to promote natural healing, this might be quite painful but is one of the fastest-acting treatments available.
- Kank-a
Benzocaine, a local anesthetic, is present in KANK-A Mouth Pain Liquid. It works by disrupting your body’s nerve messages, which results in a pain-free experience.
- SM-33
The only teething gel with a local anesthetic to effectively numb the gums is SM-33. It is an excellent temporary pain reliever for transient mouth ulcers, denture ulcers, abrasions, gum, palate, and tongue inflammation.
- Bonjela
Bonjela is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug used to relieve the symptoms of mouth ulcers and cold sores. It aids in healing sore spots and ulcers caused by dentures and braces and preventing minor mouth infections.
- Mouth Wash / Anti-bac mouthwash
Antimicrobial mouthwash can hasten to heal and prevent ulcer infection. However, this treatment is not suitable for children under two. You must consult your doctor as it is not a great idea to use any mouthwash on your infected area.
- Milk of magnesia
Apply a thick layer of Magnesium hydroxide, also known as magnesia milk, to the sore to prevent further deterioration by improving the pH level of your mouth. Since Milk of magnesia acts as an acid neutralizer, it also helps avoid irritation and pain.
- Zinc
Do you want to know how to heal canker sores permanently because you have been dealing with the condition too often? If yes, then the chances are high that you must be suffering from zinc deficiency, and taking zinc supplements may provide some relief.
- Vitamin B
Canker sores may occur more frequently if your diet is deficient in vitamin B-12. According to a 2017 study, the people who took 1,000 milligrams of vitamin B-12 every day experienced minimal canker sore breakout. Since Vitamin B complex supplements can have adverse side effects, so please consult with your doctor before taking them.
When to Seek Medical Attention
While most mouth ulcers and canker sores heal on their own, there are times when you should see a healthcare professional. If a mouth ulcer lasts longer than two weeks, becomes increasingly painful, or is accompanied by other symptoms like fever, difficulty swallowing, or unexplained weight loss, it’s important to seek medical advice.
Recurring mouth ulcers, or those that appear alongside a weakened immune system, may signal an underlying health issue such as oral cancer or another medical condition. If you notice any unusual changes in your mouth, or if you have concerns about your symptoms, a dentist or doctor can provide a thorough examination and recommend the best treatments.
Regular dental check-ups are also essential to help prevent mouth ulcers and catch any potential problems early, ensuring your mouth stays healthy and pain-free.
The bottom line
Canker sores are common and usually heal themselves; however, the methods above should help with prevention, reducing discomfort and speeding up the healing process. If you are looking for the best Sydney cosmetic dentist, please get in touch today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does eating spicy foods really cause mouth ulcers?
Spices don’t cause ulcers, but they can irritate delicate tissue and trigger or worsen existing sores in sensitive people.
Is salt water genuinely helpful?
Yes. Rinsing with ½ teaspoon salt in half a cup of warm water 2–3 times daily cleans the lesion, draws out fluid, and speeds healing.
What should I avoid while an ulcer heals?
Steer clear of hot drinks, hot food, sour foods, alcohol, mouthwash, and crunchy chips—all can make the pain worse.
Can badly fitting dentures or braces create ulcers?
Absolutely. Continuous rubbing breaks the lining and invites sores. Have appliances adjusted and use orthodontic wax until then.
When do I need medical treatments?
If ulcers recur monthly, last longer than 2 weeks, appear alongside fever, or you suspect fungal infections or autoimmune diseases, see your dentist/GP for stronger topical steroids, antimicrobial mouth spray, or a diagnostic blood test.
