What is the Best Essential Oil for Canker Sores?

A beautiful smile is worth the moon and the stars.

Fortunately, most people have a natural smile that is enough to take your breath away.

However, there are those minor health issues that can creep in and impair your smile and self-confidence. Some of those things can include bad breath, a cavity or a sports injury, in another case it can be canker sores that seem to appear out of nowhere.

Canker sores are notorious for causing pain in the mouth and general discomfort.

Although they disappear after a while, it helps to have a go-to solution that will ease the pain and discomfort for the duration that you have them.

Specific essential oils can be of great assistance in helping you get through the day when suffering from canker sores.

They often are round shaped and have a white or yellow center with a defined border that is red in color. The sores can also be described as lesions that are small and shallow which commonly develop in the mouths soft tissue.

They should not be confused with cold sores, which show up on the outside of the lip. Canker sores will typically occur on the inside of the mouth.

Thankfully, canker sores will disappear on their own after a duration of two weeks or so.

In that interim, they can be quite painful and cause much discomfort. For instance, they may disrupt the way you talk and may interfere with your eating and drinking because of pain when in contact with food.

The good news is that, with the right essential oil, you can manage and get through them without too much discomfort, in addition to promoting speedy healing.

What causes canker sores?

When you notice that you have canker sores, it could be as a result of the following reasons:

• A manifestation of a dietary issue, such as a deficiency in vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid or iron
• Can occur as an allergic reaction to certain bacteria in the mouth
• The result of food sensitivities to certain foods such as strawberries, chocolate, spicy foods and nuts
• Hormonal imbalances during monthly periods
• Sports injuries
• Brushing teeth over-zealously
• Being under stress
• Biting yourself on the cheek

These are some of the reasons that result in canker sores. Tackling the root problem is the recommended approach to rid yourself of canker sores.

For instance, if stress is the primary cause of your canker sores, reducing your stress levels would be the best way to keep them from recurring.

But because of the discomfort canker sores causes, essential oils can be beneficial in reducing the pain and slight swelling as the sores heal and eventually disappear.

That is because they are known for their antiseptic and antibacterial properties that will help keep infections away. Infections can prolong the healing of canker sores.

Clove is a natural numbing agent, while cilantro is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

That means you can experience almost instant relief from these essential oils because the swelling is reduced dramatically and pain is also numbed. This respite allows you some relief to brush teeth, eat and talk more comfortably as the canker heals.

Below we review some top-five similar essential oils that will work wonders for canker sores.

Clove has many therapeutic properties, but two, in particular, makes it an excellent choice for canker sores. As mentioned earlier, the first is its numbing capabilities.

Canker sores can be notoriously painful. This can make eating and talking such pain. But just a cotton wool swab of clove essential oil on a canker sore brings almost instant relief.

The other quality that makes clove oil by Pure Gold the go-to oil for sores is its antibacterial properties.

Since mouth ulcers are lesions occurring in the mouth, there is a high possibility of an infection on the lesion which can further compound the problem and prolong the healing process.

Clove essential oil numbs and disinfects the area for quick relief and ensures that the chance of an infection on the sore is drastically reduced.

The verdict

Applications of this oil on canker sores will help you get through the day with minimal discomfort and will aid in quicker healing.

In short, Pure Clove essential oil will help manage canker sores quite effectively.

We mentioned the versatility of clove oil.

Not only is it beneficial for use on canker sores but it can also help to relieve pain on toothaches and muscle pain.

Other applications include relieving digestive upsets, as well as helping with respiratory issues such as coughs and asthma.

This oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and effectively quells any swelling.

That quality is attributed to a compound known as terpinen-4-ol, which occurs in tea tree oil in abundance.

The verdict

This oil will suppress any inflammation of mouth sores.

A swab at the sore with a cotton wool ball containing tea tree oil several times in a day will take care of any swelling, while at the same time killing unwanted bacteria.

Other than use on canker sores, its other numerous qualities such as being an antifungal and antiviral agent, tea tree oil is excellent for the skin, body, acne, scalp dandruff, and promoting hair growth.

You can also benefit from its aromatic scent using a diffuser humidifier in the comfort of your home or office.

Canker sores, for instance, do not stand a chance when using this oil.

It helps the user be able to carry on with their normal day with the least amount of distress as possible. More importantly, the blend promotes healing and provides comfort so that you can talk and eat, despite canker sores.

Over and above managing canker sores, this blend will also sort out a number of oral and dental issues including tooth pain relief, dry mouth, cold sores, gum disease, bad breath, as well as tongue thrush treatment.

The verdict

What makes this oil such a powerful tool to have in the medicine cabinet at home or in the dental clinic, is its ability to merge all these essential ingredients and effectively harness their compounded power to relieve nerve pain, bleeding, soothing and prevents tissue from hardening.

This blend can be used effectively by adding a few drops to the toothbrush when brushing teeth in the morning and before bedtime.

This helps in preventing all your tooth and gum problems, while also helping manage canker sores.

The OraWellness Healthy Mouth Blend Tooth Oil comprises essential oils alongside other beneficial ingredients, such as cinnamon, manuka, clove, myrrh, peppermint, and spearmint in a base of certified organic almond oil.

The verdict

For those who are allergic to nuts, this brand has the same formulation but in a base oil of jojoba, instead of almond. The formulation does not contain fluoride or any toxic ingredient.

The usage is very simple, as all you have to do is to add a few drops on your toothbrush while brushing teeth.

You can also add a drop or two into mouth rinsing water and floss so that all the deeper pockets of the teeth are reached by the solution.

Clove, cilantro, and lavender all have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which ensure the sore does not become infected, while at the same time quelling any swelling.

Clove has anesthetic qualities that bring swift pain relief to the sore.

A cotton wool swab containing a few drops of the blend twice to three times a day will help ease the discomfort caused by a canker sore.

The verdict

With canker sore serum, no one should have to endure the discomfort of painful mouth ulcers without relief.

This formulation works incredibly well in helping bring a quick recovery from mouth ulcers.

DIY Essential oil mouthwash for canker sores

Mouthwashes are an excellent way of complementing the hard work of brushing teeth several times a day.

They also help cleanse and bring balance to the naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth.

Here are a few simple, yet effective recipes that you can formulate for yourself to help canker sores:

Recipe 1

Ingredients

• 10 drops of peppermint oil
• 2 cups of lukewarm distilled water
• 1 ½ ounce of xylitol, also known as birch sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda

Pour all the ingredients in an empty glass bottle with a screw cap. Shake well and leave for a few minutes.

All the contents will dissolve and become one mixture. The mouth wash is then ready for use.

Recipe 2

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoonful of baking soda
• ½ cup of clean drinking water
• 2 drops of tea tree oil
• 2 drops of peppermint oil

Pour all the ingredients into a glass bottle with a screw cap and shake well. Allow the mixture a couple of minutes to blend and dissolve.

Note that the baking soda will tend to collect on the bottom. So be sure to give the bottle a good shake every time before use.

Swishing 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls in your mouth should help with any mouth ulcers.

Recipe 3

Ingredients

• 5 drops of peppermint oil
• 5 drops of tea tree oil
• 3 drops of lemon oil
• 3 drops of spearmint oil
• 3 cups of clean drinking water
• 8 drops of concentrated trace minerals liquid
• 1 tablespoon of calcium carbonate powder

Pour all the ingredients in a glass with a screw cap. Shake well and leave to settle for a few minutes.

Using one to two tablespoonfuls, swish the solution in the mouth twice to three times a day, will help cleanse and prevent infections on canker sores.

Things to consider when using essential oils for canker sores

The rule of thumb when using essential oils is to ensure that you are using the correct oil for the right purpose.

Not all essential oils are suited for use in formulating a mouthwash. Just because essential oils are natural, does not mean they cannot be harmful.

They can, in fact, be harmful if not used properly.

When not sure which oil is used for what, be sure to check with a professional on essential oils. You can always consult with a doctor in the event you are pregnant or lactating and whether it is safe for you to use essential oils for any reason.

Other home remedies for mouth ulcers

Other than essential oils, the following are effective home remedies that are worth a try for managing mouth ulcers. These remedies are available and their effective results on a canker sore will likely surprise you.

• Alum powder
• Yogurt
• Baking soda rinse
• Saltwater rinse
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Honey
• Coconut oil

Can you prevent canker sores?

For the most part, canker sores can be prevented.

Since some of the causes, like stress, can be within our control. It is possible to deliberately and effectively work on stress levels and therefore prevent cankers sores.

Mouth ulcers, as a result of a deficiency in vital dietary minerals, such as zinc and folic acid, can be avoided by making sure you have a balanced diet.

Conclusion

While a canker sore is a pain in the mouth, there are numerous affordable solutions available to you.

The essential oils provided above are an excellent option, as they not only help a canker sore heal quicker, but also provide additional benefits for oral hygiene. Adding all or some of the above to your medicine cabinet ensures the whole family’s oral issues are taken care of.

Have you used essential oils for canker sores before?

How did it work for you?

Let us know in the comments below.

Image credits: Unsplash.com and Amazon.com