A 18-year-old member asked:
How do you treat canker sores?
4 doctor answers • 11 doctors weighed in

Dr. James Eitneranswered
Family Medicine 35 years experience
Salt water swish: Early on, you can try a salt water or hydrogen peroxide swish and spit. If the symptoms persist past a few days or recur frequently, see your dentist or doctor for an antimicrobial mouthwash, cortisone medication, or other solution.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. David Astrachananswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 38 years experience
Low acid diet: Avoid acids such as coffee, tea oj etc... Use mylanta or some other liquid antacid after you eat and before you go to bed. Take 1 tablespoon and swish it around for 1 minute and spit it out. Decreasing acidity in the mouth helps tremendously.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Andrew Oswarianswered
Family Medicine 25 years experience
L-lysine: Try a lysine gel cap pierce it and put the gel on your sore. Anti-viral creams like Denavir (penciclovir) can also be very useful.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. R Lee Hinsonanswered
Dentistry 39 years experience
Try Zilactin B, : An over the counter medication found in pharmacies. Dry area, apply thin layer, let it dry and turn white. Your dentist can prescribe a steroid in a delivery vehicle called orabase. Rx for that! avoid toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate which can help cause. Avoid acidic foods. Be careful brushing not to gouge tissue. Lasers work very well, hope your dentist has one. Eat healthy! good luck!
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
Similar questions
A 38-year-old female asked about a male:
Are Canker sores urgent to treat?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Stuart Hickersonanswered
Family Medicine 33 years experience
Canker sores: Canker sores are small, white swellings that develop into ulcers. They appear on tongue,lips,gums,inside of cheek. The sores are usually associated with burning and tingling sensation. They last from 4 to 20 days. How urgent to treat depends on how bad the blister is. Canker sores do not form blisters like cold sores which are caused by the Herpes virus.
116 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Mahopac, NY
A 38-year-old male asked:
How can it best treat my canker sores because they are very painful?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Robert Trageranswered
Dentistry 55 years experience
Less stress-acid: canker sores are caused by stress ,acidic foods minor injuries or vitamin deficiencies. Home remedies such as mixing milk of magnesia with BENADRYL AND SALT WATER with baking soda. Also many drugstores have over the counter remedies.
26 viewsReviewed Dec 10, 2020

Dr. Neil McLeod commented
Prosthodontics 50 years experience
Canker sores - a nuisance and often painful, they usually heal in six days. In my clinical experience they heal more quickly if you traumatize them with a toothbrush directly until they bleed.
Dec 10, 2020
Last updated Dec 13, 2019
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