How to Get Rid of Canker Sores Forever

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This doesn’t normally fall under the umbrella of DIY and Crafts, but this is a tip that has totally changed my life and I thought there might be others out there who could benefit from it.  I’m going to show you how to get rid of canker sores forever!  Since I started doing this I have probably had one canker sore that was mild.  And I used to get them all. the. time.

how to get rid of canker sores

Canker sores–those super irritating little sores that pop up in your mouth, usually caused by eating too much sugar or acidic things and often by stress.  I got them so much and they were bad!  They would sometimes wake me up in the night because they hurt so bad.  And they would last forever.  I went to the pharmacy and bought every topical thing I could to help canker sores–the mouthwashes, the creams, etc.  They only helped to numb the pain but nothing shortened the duration and sometimes they would last a couple weeks.

One time I had one that was so bad and wouldn’t go away, so I googled canker sores and started reading everything about them.  I came across this random blog (that I have no idea what it is now) and this guy suffered with the same problem.  He finally discovered the reason they suck so much is because of an ingredient in every day toothpaste!  This ingredient caused serious irritation to the sores and was basically like pouring salt an an open wound every time you brushed your teeth.  No wonder it took so long for it to heal!

The ingredient is called Sodium Laurel Sulphate or SLS.  It is in most all major toothpastes and causes the foaming action.  You just need to find a toothpaste that is SLS-free and you’re golden!  Make sure it still has fluoride though because my husband, the dentist, would kill me if he thought I was promoting anti-fluoride toothpaste.  I like the brand Jason which can be found at health food stores like Sprouts.  There is also Burt’s Bees that I’ve tried.

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So how to banish those Canker sores forever?  I actually used to brush with the special SLS-free toothpaste only when I would get a canker sore.  But I would still get them a lot, they would just go away faster.  I finally decided to brush full-time with SLS-free toothpaste and since doing that, I have only had one minor canker sore that happened right in the middle of my most stressful time–Christmas.  I am confident that you can reduce mouth sores by 95% by just switching to SLS-free toothpaste.

It takes a little getting used to and you might miss the regular toothpaste.  But I would gladly trade never getting canker sores again for that foamy toothpaste feel.  If you are like me and get a lot of canker sores make the switch today!  It will make your life so much better I promise.  Of course I have only tested this theory on myself so I’m not guaranteeing anything.

11 Comments

  1. I too had this same problem with continual cankor sores for a couple years. Finally found an article about sls causing them and finally found a solution too! What a relief. Burt’s bees discontinued their sls free toothpaste though! 🙁 I now use one from the Honest company that I like. And they also sell it in travel size for convenience.

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      Great to know! I will have to try that one as well.

  2. Hi Heidi,

    Great tip! I’m a nurse and hadn’t heard of this. Thanks so much!

  3. I am also a chronic canker sore sufferer…they are AWFUL! I read about this tip a while ago and switched to Sensodyne full time (it is SLS free as well) and it definitely did help to cut back on them…but I do still get them about once a month or so. I wish there was a cure to get rid of them quickly once they appeared! I’ve tried lots of the home remedies and nothing seems to work for me. But I’m glad this has worked to get rid of them completely for you!

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      I should probably make it more clear…I do still get one occasionally but I eat a lot of sugar haha. However using SLS free toothpaste makes them heal much faster and barely hurt at all that I don’t even notice.

  4. I had exactly the same problem only I figured it out on my own! FYI, my neighborhood dollar store sells one made in Mexico that doesn’t have SLS, and so it’s very cheap!

  5. Hi, just found your site today through Pinterest. Since it sounds like your hubby is a dentist like mine, have him get some debactoral next time you have a canker sore. It’s this chemical in a q-tip that kills it on contact. It’s amazing!!!

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      Oooh–I want to try that! Thanks!

  6. Andrea Flores Flores says:

    I’ve always used sls free toothpaste, because when I was younger I didn’t like the foaming of brushing. I can tell you that toothpaste has NOTHING to do with the pain of the sores, as I have one right now that brought me to tears yesterday.

  7. I have had horrible canker sores for many many years because of the amount of juice and acid in my diet. I live on Gatorade and fresh fruit and fruit juices. In my middle twenties a friend of mine had the exact same problem she told me to take LYSINE and AFFIDOPHILUS.
    At the time it was all in compassed in one vitamin now you have to buy both every time I run out…canker sore mouth just yesterday I had to drink a lot of orange juice to bring my sugar up and today I had some mango juice & this evening my mouth is full tank sores!!!
    Needless to say I will be at GNC tomorrow.
    I PRAY THIS HELPS SOMEBODY WITH THIS HORRIBLE PAIN & DISCOMFORT.

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