My DD had these so I switched to Tom's of Maine, too. Seemed to help.

glyoxide is useful.

BTW, OP, do you happen to use a daily preventative inhaler for asthma? When I first started using one, I got canker sores. A nurse told me to brush my teeth after using b/c it would cause canker sores.

Oh yeah, and for Kanka you're supposed to (1) dry the canker sore; (2) apply the Kanka; and (3) let the Kanka dry. The pain does not subside until you have done all of that.

It really is traumatic and painful. I would not recommend it for your kids. The Listerine strips are the best balance of pain relief and ease-of-use. If Kanka had similar strips it would be worth it, but they don't.

As a long-time canker sore sufferer:

1. Kanka works very well to get rid of pain, hurts a lot when you first put it on, particularly because you're supposed to dry the canker sore first. Also tastes bad. It lasts at least an hour or two before it wears off.
2. Warm salt-water rinse (about 1 tsp in a warm glass of water) feels good, takes away pain for a while, but not as long as Kanka. I'd use every 30 minutes - 1 hour. Recommended by dentists.
3. (My personal current favorite): Put a Listerine strip directly on the sore. Hurts for an instant, but not as much or as long as Kanka. There's no need to dry the sore first. I stick it in there and then try not to move the area for a while. The strip basically sticks to your gum (or cheek or inside lip or whatever) and creates a film like Kanka, and then sits there tasting minty and numbing the pain. Lasts at least an hour, and there's no real trauma or pain in putting another one in.

I find that at certain times I'm susceptible to canker sores, and at those times it's usually spicy food, citrus (fruit or juice), or accidentally biting my lip that causes them.

L-lysine also helps for cold sores.

Ditto on the SLS free toothpaste. Kanka really does work. It numbs it for a while and forms a protective layer. When crap keeps getting in it, that irritates it and makes it worse. You can always try the magic mouthwash that doctors are recommending for kids that get HFM. Half benadryl/half maalox, dab on with cotton swab.

Alum is found in the spice aisle of the store. Dip a q-tip in water and get a dab of alum on the q-tip. Apply the alum to the sore. It will hurt a lot. You are basically rubbing salt in the wound. But hold it on as long as he can stand it then rinse out with water. Do it daily until it goes away. This makes it go away faster and hurt less.

To prevent try to determine if there are any offending foods or toothpastes and avoid those. I found that taking complex vitamin B and lysine supplements helped. I now only get them when I am getting sick or if I bite my cheek.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You didn't ask for prevention tips but I've found that avoiding toothpaste with sodium laurel sulfate helps - I use toms of Maine. Also, taking l-lysine pills (vitamins) helps to get rid of them faster when they crop up.

Did Toms change their formula recently?

My son has canker sores and we too avoid Sodium Laurel Sulfate, but as of at least a year ago, all of the Toms I saw had it, we use Jason.

Yes! They did recently change the formula-- drove me nuts! But, toms makes one called clean and gentle that is sls free. I find it a little less gritty than Jason's.

Anonymous wrote:You didn't ask for prevention tips but I've found that avoiding toothpaste with sodium laurel sulfate helps - I use toms of Maine. Also, taking l-lysine pills (vitamins) helps to get rid of them faster when they crop up.

Did Toms change their formula recently?

My son has canker sores and we too avoid Sodium Laurel Sulfate, but as of at least a year ago, all of the Toms I saw had it, we use Jason.

Also, don't let the dentist take X-rays of him using bite plates. It gives me horrible canker sores that can last for weeks-- worse than normal ones!

I've had them forever, like second grade at least.... Get an sls free toothpaste ASAP! Rembrandt has one, toms of Maine and Jason's do too. Helps a lot. Kankaid or ambesol are useful too. No orange juice or anything acidic or spicy.

You didn't ask for prevention tips but I've found that avoiding toothpaste with sodium laurel sulfate helps - I use toms of Maine. Also, taking l-lysine pills (vitamins) helps to get rid of them faster when they crop up.

Nothing homemade, but pick up Kanka at a Rite Aid or CVS. It stings a lot when you first put it on, but forms a protective film over it, helps it heal, and numbs the pain a lot. I used to get these a lot when I was younger.

DS age 10 gets these in his mouth on and off. Any suggestions for homemade remedies or at least things to soothe the pain? I'm thinking along the lines of gargling with salt water for a sore throat. TIA.