News

Aug 25, 2023

Does Vitamin B Prevent Canker Sores?

Amy Isler, RN, MSN, CSN, is a registered nurse with over six years of patient

Amy Isler, RN, MSN, CSN, is a registered nurse with over six years of patient experience. She is a credentialed school nurse in California.

Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content.

While it may feel isolated, your oral health can be quite indicative of the health of the rest of your body. Canker sores, for example, can be a sign of vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency.

With that in mind, is it possible that adding enough of a vitamin like B12 into your diet can prevent or treat canker sore? Research suggests that it could reduce canker sore frequency among those who get them often, and that topical vitamin B12 can lessen canker sore pain.

However, vitamin B12 is not top of mind for oral or medical professionals when it comes to treating canker sores, though some say it can be a viable method for prevention. That's because data is limited, and the exact cause of canker sores is unknown.

"I have never recommended nor prescribed vitamin B12 to treat canker sores," Laleh Gharahbaghian, MD, professor of emergency medicine at Stanford Health Care, told Verywell. "The research and theories behind vitamin B12 show that patients with low intake of B12 or with a B12 deficiency are more likely to have recurrent canker sores, suggesting that adding B12 daily can be a preventative intervention, but not a treatment."

Canker sores—also called aphthous stomatitis or aphthous ulcers—are painful yellow or white sores inside the mouth. They usually form on the insides of the cheeks, lips, or tongue. Cankers are common, affecting about 20% of people, especially teenagers and young adults.

While the exact cause of canker sores is unknown, experts think that genetics, smoking, injury, stress, food allergies, and vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies can all play a role.

Canker sores are not contagious. Sometimes, they’re triggered by an underlying health condition involving the immune system such as:

For some people, canker sores are associated with a nutrient deficiency, which is why B12 supplementation could help with prevention.

"Because canker sores can be caused by many different triggers, I will discuss many recommendations for patients," Ruchi (Deepinder) Sahota, DDS, consumer advisor of the American Dental Association, told Verywell. "I will discuss B12 supplements but ask patients to also discuss this suggestion with their physician."

For other people, the sores can pop up following viral or bacterial infection, or could even be associated with food allergies.

Given how many possible causes there are, Sahota said that it's "important to consult a medical or dental professional if you have concerns about the frequency, duration, and symptoms of your canker sores."

The link between vitamin B12 deficiency and mouth sores is not totally understood. Vitamin B12 is a key nutrient that the body needs for blood cell reproduction as well as for protecting the nervous system from vision problems and memory loss. You can get vitamin B12 from foods as well as from supplements.

Vitamin B12 deficiency affects about 6% of adults under 60 years, with the risk in people over the age of 60 approaching 20%. It is often caused by eating a diet that does not include any (or few) animal-based products or because your body has trouble absorbing nutrients.

Other causes of a vitamin B12 deficiency include:

Your healthcare provider can easily check your levels of vitamin B12 with a quick blood test. Common treatments for a vitamin B12 deficiency are dietary supplements, prescribed injections, or a nasal spray.

Minor canker sores usually go away on their own in a week or two and do not require any specific treatment. Preventing canker sores starts with figuring out what's triggering them.

"People that suffer from canker sores typically don't get them often," Kila Wells, a registered dental hygienist in California, told Verywell. "For treatment, we recommend first changing toothpaste."

Why change toothpaste? Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a common ingredient in toothpaste that helps make it foam up when you brush your teeth. SLS has been linked to canker sores, so using an SLS-free toothpaste may help prevent mouth ulcers.

Wells said it's also important to be aware of when you’re getting cankers.

"Sometimes, it's due to mouth trauma from poking themselves with their toothbrush or eating a hard piece of bread, and sometimes it may be due to something they are eating."

Other tips for preventing canker sores include:

If you get a lot of canker sores or get them often, talk to your provider about treatment and prevention. Topical vitamin B12 could be one option worth trying, but there are also others:

Canker sores are usually minor oral health problems that will get better on their own. If you’ve tried to avoid triggers and are taking steps to treat them at home but you’re still getting them, you might want to talk to your provider or dentist about a possible vitamin B12 deficiency, and OTC and prescription products that are effective at treating canker sores.

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By Amy Isler, RN, MSN, CSNAmy Isler, RN, MSN, CSN, is a registered nurse with over six years of patient experience. She is a credentialed school nurse in California.