Mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores, develop in the soft tissue lining of your gums, tongue, inner cheeks, lips or palate making it difficult to chew. Mouth ulcers are caused by aphthous ulceration, certain medications, skin rashes in the mouth, viral, bacterial and fungal infections, chemicals and some medical conditions. Also, eating a lot of very acidic foods has been attributed to contributing to mouth ulcers.
A mouth ulcer that will not heal may be a sign of mouth cancer. This is why giving up acidic meals, especially acidic fruit, should be your first step if ulcer forms. It will not only speed up your mouth’s healing process but also reduce irritation.
The following are home remedies to heal mouth ulcers:
1. Black tea
Apply black tea directly to a canker sore. Its tannins would speed up healing (an astringent substance, which removes residue and dirt). However, before using the black tea, you must first prepare it by letting the tea bag steep in a cup of hot water. Once the water and bag have cooled, apply the tea bag to the canker sore immediately.
2. Natural yoghurt
Yoghurt containing Bifidus or probiotics would increase bowel movements and intestinal flora. This can boost the natural defences of your body and hasten the healing of mouth ulcers.
3. Cloves
Chewing cloves would ease pain and hasten the healing of canker sores. Cloves have antibacterial and analgesic properties that help maintain a canker sore’s cleanliness, encourage healing, and ease the pain.
4. Saltwater
Rinsing your mouth with salt water can disinfect and heal canker sores. Salt eliminates microorganisms from any contaminated area since it has an antibacterial effect. You can make salt water by combining a teaspoon of salt with a cup of warm water. For best results, use the salt water mixture to rinse your mouth twice a day for a few minutes.