Canker Sores

Canker sores are medically known as aphthous ulcers. They thrive inside your mouth on the wet tissues of your tongue and cheeks. It will start out as a small red wound and quickly grows into a white painful ulcer. There is no way to speed up the process of healing the ulcer, but there are ways you can ease the pain and help it heal steadily.

• Tingle Time: When you feel the first tingle of a canker sore open a vitamin E capsule and squeeze some of the oil on the sore.
  
• Nip it: Use a styptic pencil, this will stop the development of a big ulcer. It has an active ingredient called astringent alum, which dries out the sore.
• Use Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide are antiseptics that kill germs. They are both available over the counter. Apply them several times a day, but be sure not to use too much peroxide because it can cause burning.
• Salt water soothes: Mix a teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water and swish around in your mouth for a minute. This helps clean the tissue around the sore and will help it heal and temporarily relieves the pain. You can also use water mixed with baking soda.
• Numb it: Using over the counter anesthetic gels that contain benzocaine, phenol, camphor, or menthol can help numb the sore. Apply as needed.
• Tea time: Soak a cloth or piece of gauze in cool tea and hold it on your canker sore for a few minutes. This will help ease the burning and itching. You can use a wet tea bag as well but make sure it is real tea and not a herb tea. It's the astringent in black tea that does the trick.
• Got milk: Rinse your mouth with some cold milk before eating. The milk will coat the sore and make eating less painful.
  
• Eat yogurt: Yogurt is a natural healer for canker sores. Eat most of the yogurt and then put the last tablespoon in your mouth and swish around.