While no one really understands what causes canker sores, there are numerous things you can do to instigate a home remedy for a nasty canker sore. Here are some tips.

Some over the counter aids are carbamide peroxide cankercide. Yes, that’s a mouthful but just go to the pharmacist at your favorite store and ask for carbamide peroxide. What this home remedy does to relieve a sufferer of a canker sore is to release oxygen that will clean up the bacteria that initiates that canker sore. The peroxide bubbles get into the smallest crevices of the sore, while the glycerine coats and protects the affected area. Some brand names to ask for are Amosan, Cankaid and Glyoxide.

Potassium chlorate is also an effective home canker sore remedy. The patient just combines a teaspoon of the potassium chlorate with a cup of water and gargles with it several times each day. This should not be swallowed, just swished around in the mouth and then spat out.

Other remedies for canker sores are over the counter medicines that have camphor, benzocaine, menthol, eucalyptol or alcohol – or a combination of any of these in gel or liquid form. These might sting when first applied to the canker sore and you will have to keep applying them because they don’t adhere to the canker sore.

Orabase is a paste that works as a home remedy for a canker sore. The first step in this remedy is drying the canker sore with a cotton swab. The other end of the swab would be used to apply the orabase to the top of the sore. This home remedy only works on a canker sore that just appeared, however.

A wet tea bag, useful for so many aches and pains such as tooth aches and ear aches, comes in handy as a home remedy for a canker sore as well. Tea contains tannin and tannin is an astringent that relieves pain. The tea bag should be applied cold.

There are a couple of other mouthwash home remedies that help cure and take away the pain of canker sores. The first is a solution of 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in eight ounces of water. This is to be gargled, not swallowed. Another home remedy is recommended by a physician who has seen this work for her cancer patients who developed canker sores. She said the mouthwash Folamint is very effective and doesn’t sting because it has no alcohol. She said it heals because its ingredients are aloe vera, folate, zinc and Vitamin C – all with medicinal effects.

Milk of magnesia or Mylanta can be used as home remedies for canker sores by swishing them around in your mouth to add a protective coating to the canker sore. They both have antibacterial effects as well.

As a preventative rather than home remedy for canker sores try yogurt. 4 tablespoons four times a day has an antibacterial effect. Yogurt is also used to ward of yeast infections.

Untreated, swollen gums and gum disease can lead to serious medical problems. Good oral hygiene, including thorough brushing and the removal of plaque and tartar from the teeth, is crucial. However, brushing alone is not enough to stop swollen gums. Dental check- ups are still important, gum disease symptoms that are unrecognizable may be detected by the dentist and treated right away.