Sunshine Coast Dentist: Home Remedies For Canker Sores

While often smaller than a regular pencil eraser, a canker sore, despite its size, packs a lot of painful punch.

A canker sore is often very difficult to ignore. You know it’s there simply because it hurts, a lot. It hurts when you drink. It hurts when you eat. It even hurts when you talk.

What Causes Canker Sores

Until today, it is uncertain as to what causes canker sores. However, canker sores are most frequently observed to afflict people who are under too much stress. Similarly, it affects people who have poor diets. It is estimated that about 20% of the world’s population are affected by cancer sores occasionally.

Home Made Remedies

DIY Mixture: While it might sound like a peculiar combination, more than a few dentists swear by a DIY mixture made of equal parts Milk of Magnesia or Kaopectate and Benylin or Benadryl. Both Milk of Magnesia and Kaopectae contain compounds that naturally coat the wet tissues of the mouth. Both Benylin and Benadryl on the other hand compounds that are natural topical anaesthetics and antihistamines that reduce inflammations.

To use, just apply mixture on the affected area using a cotton swab. Take extra caution, however, not to swallow the mixture. You don’t want to anesthetize that the natural closing reflexes of the windpipe.

Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne is a potent source of capsaicin, a naturally occurring compound that numbs pain-causing nerve endings. This is exactly why cayenne is an active recipe in many over the counter candies that are formulated to relieve canker sore discomfort.

Take extra caution when using cayenne pepper as its potent capsaicin content has occasionally proven to be irritating in some cases.

DIY Rinse: There are more than a few DIY rinses you can prepare using ingredients typically found at home. A little aloe extract, for example, from the inner portion of an aloe vera leaf can be used as a canker sore rinse. Similarly, you can prepare a rinse by diluting 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon, and 2 ounces of hydrogen peroxide in 1-2 ounces of water.

Sunshine Coast Dentist: Smiles Nambour

Any irregularities that don’t go away for more than 10 days should be checked out by your local dentist. Smiles Nambour is a local dental practice that has long since dedicated its time and expertise in advancing the oral healthcare of its patients.
Schedule your first appointment with Smiles Nambour and receive a professional dental consultation. Call us on (07) 5441 4438 or book online.