MOUTH ULCERS (CANKER SORES)

Arsenicum album: A person who breaks out in burning, painful mouth sores, and also feels anxious and tired, is likely to benefit from this remedy. Hot drinks often ease the pain, and the person feels best when keeping warm. People who need this remedy often have unhealthy, easily-bleeding gums, and tend to be extremely neat and tense.

Borax: This remedy is often helpful when canker sores feel hot and sensitive. Acidic foods—especially citrus fruits—may be irritating. Sores may break out on the inside of the cheeks, on the gums, and on the tongue. The person produces profuse saliva, yet still feels dry inside the mouth. People needing Borax are often very sensitive to noise and inclined toward motion sickness.

Calcarea carbonica: This remedy is often indicated when infants and small children have recurring canker sores. A child who needs this remedy may also have head-sweats during sleep, and be slow to teethe or learn to walk. Calcarea carbonica may help with canker sores in adults who are chilly, stout, and easily fatigued.

Hepar sulphuris calcareum: If a person develops painful mouth sores that become infected—with pus formation, extreme sensitivity, and aggravation from cold drinks—this remedy may be indicated. A person needing Hepar sulph often feels extremely chilly, vulnerable, and oversensitive.

Mercurius solubilis: Bleeding gums, a swollen coated tongue, and offensive breath are seen along with canker sores when this remedy is needed. The painful, burning sores feel worse at night, and salivation is profuse, with drooling during sleep. The person tends to sweat at night and is very sensitive to any change in temperature.

Natrum muriaticum: Pearly sores that erupt inside the mouth, especially on the gums or tongue, may respond to this remedy. The mouth feels dry, and the tongue may have a tingling feeling. People who need this remedy often are troubled by cold sores around the corners of the mouth or chin, and have chapped or cracking lips. A craving for salt, strong thirst, and a tendency to feel worse from being in the sun are other indications for Natrum muriaticum.

Nux vomica: A person who needs this remedy may break out in canker sores after overindulging in sweets, strong spicy foods, stimulants, or alcoholic beverages. The sores are often small, and the person may have swollen gums, a coated tongue, and bloody salivation. Irritability, impatience, and a general chilliness are often seen when this remedy is needed.

Sulphur: This remedy may be helpful for sores that are painful, red and inflamed, with burning pain that is worse from warm drinks and aggravated by heat of any kind. The mouth may have a bitter taste, and the gums can be swollen and throbbing. A person who needs this remedy often has reddish lips and mucous membranes, and a tendency toward itching and skin irritations.