I understand why salt is needed, to dry out the sore and heal it. My doctor said: “gargle with salt water that is as warm as you can handle without burning yourself?” Why was the “warm” aspect of this emphasized so much?
In: Biology
I used to get canker sores all the time. Tried so many different remedies when I would get them to deal with them, and the best thing I personally ever found was Peroxyl mouthwash by Colgate…. I would get one, and rinse with the peroxyl and it would be gone within a day.
My mom said canker sores were due to a lack of folic acid, so we’d pop folic acid pills 2x a day and they’d be gone within 48 hrs. Never heard of the saltwater thing.
I have read recently that, in salt water gargles, that the heat is not actually important. Yes, it can dissolve more salt, but you don’t actually want to use anywhere near the amount of salt that the water can hold. And the heat has negligible effect on the osmosis that “sucks” out the water from the inflammation.
The main thing is that the heat can actually feel good. But, if it doesn’t, it’s okay to back down on the heat. Personally, I would suggest going neither too hot nor too cold.
Note that this is general knowledge on salt rinsing, not specifically for canker sores.
Not really answering as others have answered: put a splash of hydrogen peroxide in with the salt water too. It’ll really help with the pain and clear up that sore faster.
From someone who suffers from canker sores monthly
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