Most mouth sores heal on their own within 10 to 14 days, but the right home care can reduce pain and speed that process along. A few simple, inexpensive treatments, combined with smart choices about what you eat and how you care for your mouth, can make a real difference in how quickly you recover.
Salt Water and Baking Soda Rinses
A salt water rinse is the simplest and most widely recommended home treatment for mouth sores. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt into 8 ounces of warm water until fully dissolved. Swish the solution around your mouth for 15 to 30 seconds, then spit it out. You can do this up to four times a day, including after meals. Salt water draws fluid out of inflamed tissue, which helps reduce swelling and creates an environment that’s less hospitable to bacteria.
Baking soda works similarly by neutralizing acids in the mouth that can irritate an open sore. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of warm water and use it as a rinse the same way. Some people alternate between salt water and baking soda rinses throughout the day. Either option is gentle enough to use from the moment you notice a sore forming.
Honey as a Topical Treatment
Applying a small amount of honey directly to a mouth sore is more than a folk remedy. A systematic review of 13 studies found that honey consistently performed as well as, or better than, standard pharmacy treatments for oral ulcers. In one study, only 1 out of 20 people using honey developed severe mouth inflammation, compared to 15 out of 20 in the group using a standard numbing gel. Other studies found honey reduced healing time for moderate and severe ulcers and delayed the onset of worsening symptoms.
Honey has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and it forms a protective coating over the sore. To use it, dab a small amount of raw honey onto the ulcer with a clean finger or cotton swab, two to three times a day. Avoid eating or drinking for a few minutes afterward so the honey stays in contact with the tissue.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
Numbing gels and protective pastes sold at pharmacies can help when a sore is too painful to eat or talk comfortably. Look for products containing benzocaine, which temporarily blocks pain signals in the tissue. These are applied directly to the sore and typically provide relief within a minute or two, lasting 30 minutes to an hour. Oral rinses containing hydrogen peroxide (usually diluted and pre-mixed) can also help keep the area clean and reduce bacteria around the wound.
If the pain is more generalized, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen can help take the edge off, especially before meals.
Foods to Eat and Avoid
What you eat matters almost as much as what you put directly on the sore. Hot foods and drinks make mouth sores more painful, so let meals cool to room temperature or eat them slightly warm. Spicy foods containing capsaicin, like hot peppers, curry, sriracha, and salsa, directly irritate open tissue and should be avoided until the sore heals.
Acidic foods are particularly problematic. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, pineapple, vinegar, coffee, alcohol, and fruit juice can all cause a stinging or burning sensation and may actually delay healing. Hard, crunchy foods like pretzels, chips, popcorn, crackers, granola, and crusty bread can physically scrape the sore and reopen the wound.
Stick to soft, bland, cool foods instead. Yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, smoothies (made without acidic fruits), and soft pasta are all good choices. Drinking through a straw can help liquids bypass sores on the front of the mouth or lips.
Adjusting Your Oral Hygiene Routine
Keeping your mouth clean while a sore heals is important, but your normal brushing routine can make things worse if you’re not careful. Switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush if you aren’t already using one. Medium and hard bristles can damage even healthy tissue, and they’re especially rough on an open ulcer. Brush gently around the affected area rather than directly over it.
Some toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent that can irritate mouth tissue and has been linked to recurrent sores in some people. If you notice that your sores tend to flare up repeatedly, switching to an SLS-free toothpaste is worth trying. These are available at most drugstores and are usually labeled clearly on the packaging.
Nutritional Gaps That Cause Recurring Sores
If you’re dealing with mouth sores that keep coming back, the issue may not be what you’re putting on them but what’s missing from your diet. Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common nutritional cause of recurrent mouth ulcers. B12 supports red blood cell production and tissue repair, and when levels drop, the tissues inside your mouth heal poorly and become more vulnerable to sores. Other signs of B12 deficiency include fatigue and pale skin.
Iron deficiency is another frequent culprit. Low iron reduces the oxygen supply to tissues throughout your body, including your mouth, which can show up as tongue soreness and recurring ulcers. Folic acid (vitamin B9) plays a key role in cell growth and repair, so a deficiency can trigger oral inflammation and cracked lips alongside ulcers. Zinc deficiency delays healing and increases how often sores appear, while low vitamin C weakens blood vessels and slows wound repair.
If your sores are a recurring problem, paying attention to your intake of these nutrients, whether through diet or supplementation, can help break the cycle. Foods rich in B12 include meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Leafy greens, beans, and fortified cereals are good sources of both folic acid and iron.
What a Normal Healing Timeline Looks Like
A typical mouth sore goes through a predictable arc. It starts as a tingling or burning sensation, develops into a visible ulcer over a day or two, peaks in pain around days three to five, then gradually shrinks and closes. Most sores resolve completely within 10 to 14 days without any treatment at all. Home remedies generally aim to shorten that window and make the painful middle phase more tolerable.
If a mouth sore lasts longer than three weeks, that’s the point where it needs professional evaluation. The same is true if new sores keep appearing before old ones heal, if a sore is unusually large, if it’s completely painless (which can paradoxically be a warning sign), or if you develop a fever alongside mouth ulcers. Sores that appear on the outer part of your lips, rather than inside the mouth, may be cold sores caused by a virus, which require a different treatment approach.