CankerMelts
CankerMelts is a non-prescription medication for canker sores sold by Orahealth Corporation, a privately held company based in Bellevue, WA. The active ingredient is licorice extract, with collagen added which may help soothe pain and accelerate healing. CankerMelts is an all-natural self-adhering patch that sticks directly on the sore, delivering time-released medication over 2-6 hours.
History
Invented by patent attorney Jeff Haley, CankerMelts was first sold online at Amazon.com in 2004. In 2006, clinical tests at the University of Washington found that CankerMelts relieves pain and reduces the healing time of canker sores from 1-2 weeks to 1-5 days.
Active ingredient Glycyrrhiza extract (licorice) has been used for over 4000 years as an herbal remedy, including use in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a treatment for all varieties of ulcers. CankerMelts combines this natural remedy with a new oral patch technology that allows a fully-dissolving troche to adhere directly to the afflicted region.
External links
Orahealth Corporation, producer of CankerMelts
References
- Burgess, J.A., Martin, M.D., Haley, J. (2007). Cankermelts Patches Reduce Pain and Speed Resolution of Aphthous Ulcers. Journal of Dental Research, 86 (special issue), p. 1207. (on-line)