How to Heal Canker Sores Fast
Canker sores can be extremely painful. In a survey that we executed of 560 respondents who struggle with canker sore outbreaks, the average reported pain level from 1-10 was a 6.6. Even the smallest ones can be extremely painful. Before you give up hope, there are some ways that you can actually heal canker sores (yes I said heal). There are way too many products on the market that simply numb the sore without taking care of the root problem. While this can help with pain, it does nothing to speed up the healing of the ulcer. Learning how to heal canker sores is the difference between being in severe pain for 7-10 days, to being in mild pain for 2-3 days. I don’t know about you, but I will take the 2-3 days every time. We are going to walk through home remedies as well as products that can actually heal canker sores.
Natural Remedies For Canker Sores
Alum Powder
Alum powder is a game changer for canker sores. We include it in our product as it plays an important role of essentially cauterizing the canker sore. This neutralizes the pain and dries out and shrinks the sore. This causes the canker sore to heal much faster. Best of all, you can easily get McCormick Alum at your local grocery store or on Amazon. All you need to do is either apply directly to the sore (if you are brave) or mix with a drop of water and make a paste to put on the sore. After a few minutes swish some water and spit it out. Make sure you do not swallow it.
Hydrogen Peroxide Solution or Mouthwash
Hydrogen peroxide is another great method to kill the bacteria in your mouth that are eating at the canker sore. The less bacteria, the better as it will speed up healing. If you are using 100% peroxide, mix half peroxide and half water and use a cotton ball or q tip to apply the mixture to the sore. There are also mouthwashes with peroxide. Colgate makes a great one that I highly recommend below.
Baking Soda
Baking Soda is another awesome home remedy to help heal canker sores. This is because it contains saline as well as sodium bicarbonate, which both help in healing the sore quickly by working to reduce the bacteria and alkalinity in your mouth [1]. All you need to do is get a generous pinch of baking soda and make a paste by adding I small amount of water to it until it thickens. Put the paste on the canker sore and let it work its magic.
Raw Honey
If you ask me, this is the best tasting of all remedies, and you get to eat it afterwards! There is research that suggests that honey has analgesic and anti-inflammatory benefits, which is why it can help heal canker sores. There are many canker sore sufferers who swear by it to eradicate canker sores.
Saltwater Rinse
Similar to baking soda, saltwater raises the pH of our mouth and makes it more alkaline. This makes it much more difficult for bacteria to survive, because they thrive better in less acidic environments [2]. This helps prevent bacteria from developing which gives your mouth a better chance to heal.
Recommended Products For Canker Sores
Although the majority of products for canker sores are made to numb the pain and do not have healing properties, there are some products out there that really do work for healing canker sores. Below we have listed some products that we recommend based on our research as well as extensive participation in community forums. We will be listing these products under each section so you can check them out further.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission, but our opinions remain our own.
Canker Shield
We recommend Canker Shield for two reasons. The first because of its ingredients. To list a few, alum powder, lysine, bee propolis powder, licorice root, and vitamin b12 are all powerhouses for fighting against canker sores. These ingredients are all natural and backed by extensive research. The second reason is because although it is new, it has a strong track record and incredible testimonials from its users. Not only does it help soothe the pain and quickly heal canker sores in 2-3 days, it can also be used preventatively to stop them from forming in the first place by replenishing vitamin deficiencies that you have. Best of all, there is a 110% money back guarantee if it doesn’t work for you, so you have nothing to lose.
Durham’s Canker Rid
This product’s super power comes from one of its ingredients, bee propolis. It is a substance that is produced by honey bees. It contains amino acids as well as bioflavonoids that help fight against viruses, fungi and bacteria [3]. The product numbs the sore, protects the sore, and fights against bacteria to allow the sore to heal fast. It has over 2,500 ratings on Amazon with 4.5 stars.
Luminance RED
This product is on the pricier side, but has proven very effective. It uses light energy from the LED to metabolize it into cellular energy. The body can then use this energy to heal more quickly. It can also stimulate your skin’s immune response which can prevent future outbreaks [4]. It has solid ratings on Amazon and users that swear by it.
Dentemp Canker Cover
This product is essentially 6 tablets that you stick to the canker sore to provide pain relief and to speed up healing. The patches are made of menthol and have over 1,000 ratings with 4 stars on Amazon. The only con is that if you get lots of canker sores, 6 tablets is not very many for the price. However, many people have found success with the product.
Oralmedic
Oralmedic cauterizes the canker sore which neutralizes the pain. It gets solid reviews on Amazon. The downside is that it is farily expensive and provides only 2 medicated q tips to use. The upside is that it gets rid of pain almost immediately is a very solid medical grade option.
