No one likes canker sores, and from my research, no one knows how to prevent them either, so until a remedy is found, we’re stuck with them.

I don’t get them that often so it’s not a big deal, but it’s still an annoyance. It was unpleasant enough that I once wrote about having a canker sore which resulted in people finding my site searching for a way to get rid of their canker sore. In order to help those people out, I provided a few remedies I had found on the web, but none of them were the silver bullet I was looking for. I left it at that until a few days ago.

I received an e-mail from Tim Durham of Canker-Rid telling me about his company’s product. I was skeptical of the claims in the e-mail and on his web site, so I presented him with an offer. I asked him to send me a sample that I could try and in return I would write about it here.

He agreed to take me up on my offer and the shipment is on its way as I write this. My current canker sore will be gone by the time the shipment arrives, but the next time I or anyone else I know gets a canker sore, I’m going to test it out (or ask the person to test it out for me). I will then write another post discussing how it worked.

As I already told Tim, the fact that he’s willing to let me test it instills confidence in the product already. I’m almost looking forward to getting another canker sore, because if it’s as good as he says it is, I can imagine a lot of people would love to hear about it.

Then I feel the sharp pain in my mouth and am content to wait a while until I get another one.

Stay tuned.

Update: Thanks for all the great input folks. Keep the experiences, remedies and advice coming. Here are all the remedies everyone has listed, as well as a few products I’ve found to help relieve canker sore pain. Please continue to share any other suggestions or useful tips you may have so we can all benefit. I’ve put the most effective remedies at the top.

Potential cures / remedies / preventative measures

• Debacterol, supposed to cauterize the ulcer. Burns and stings on application, but it stops hurting. Has helped several commenters
• Biotene toothpaste or mouthwash - Has been an effective cure for multiple commenters
• Use non SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) toothpaste like Rembrandt for Canker Sores, Squiggle, Mentadent, Wella. Dentist.net has several other potential remedies too.
• Ask your dentist for Aphthasol - prevents and stops the tissue from ulcerating, can prevent an early stage canker from forming. Dry your mouth before applying.
• Lysine once a day until it goes away. Ask trained medical professional for proper dosage.
• Silver nitrate stick (Can be purchased at pharmacy, follow directions that come with it)
• Slosh lukewarm saltwater or apply salt directly
• Chloraseptic throat spray or lozenges
• Orabase Soothe-N-Seal from Colgate - Some complain the seal only lasts 30 minutes and when it comes off it takes the top layer of the canker sore with it
• Lidocaine 2% solution
• Pain killer (Ibuprofen)
• Anbesol (20% benzocaine) - Dentist said it makes cankers worse
• Canker Cool Swab - Soak a cotton ball with a small amount and apply it to the canker sore 3 times daily.
• Herbal Canker Sore Gel Says it eliminates canker sore pain, speeds canker sore healing and forms a protective gel over canker sore. It includes a soft brush for painless application.
• G.U.M. mouth rinse - said not to be very effective
• Slosh with DGL powder (licorice herb) and water
• Dab with Hydrogen Peroxide then Milk of Magnesia, or soak Q-tip with 50/50 mix of peroxide and water and apply directly to sore
• Benadryl Elixir and Milk of Magnesia (or Benadryl Elixir and Kaopectate)
• Dab alum powder directly on the canker sore with a Qtip. Stings on application but dries up the sore.
• Penicillin (Keflex)
• Kanka - masks the pain for a few hours
• Baking soda
• White Oak Bark or Raspberry Leaf Powder Tea
• Canker-Rid
• Eating yogurt with Acidophilus
• CankerAid
• Apply Aspirin tablet directly on sore - numbs pain for a few hours
• Slosh apple cider vinegar
• Clobetasol Propionate ointment 0.05% prescription - apply twice daily, morning and night
• Zoxirax (Acyclovir) prescription - good for throat sores
• Ice cold water to numb the sore
• Tea Tree Oil on a q-tip applied to the canker sore
• Vitamin B12
• Cepacol Dual Relief spray
• Watermelon Frost - Chinese medicine

Potential causes of canker sores

• Toothpaste with SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
• Tomatoes (combined with beef?)
• Sugary products like chocolate, Coke, Mountain Dew
• Biting inside of your mouth
• Orange juice
• Citrus fruit
• Stress
• Autoimmune disease called Behçet’s
• Celiac disease (a Gluten intolerance)
• Lupus
• Allergy to Eugenol
• Codeine-based medicine
• Amylase deficiency

I’m not a doctor, just a guy on the internet, so if you’re in serious pain, go see your doctor. If you are given an effective treatment, please share it with us