As stomatitis generally results from toxic condition of the system, the treatment for this disease has to be constitutional. It should aim of improving the digestive system. Temporary measures will only supress the disease. To begin with, the patient should be placed on orange juice and water for three to five days.
The procedure is to take the juice of an orange, diluted with water on 50:50 basis, every two hours during the day. If orange juice does not agree, carrot juice diluted with water, may be taken. The bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm-water enema during this period. If this is not possible in case of child-patient, a glycerine suppository may be applied.
After the juice diet, the patient should adopt an exclusive diet of fresh fruits for further three to five days. In this regimen, he should take three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as apple, grapes, grapefruit, orange, pear, pineapple, peach and papaya.
Thereafter, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruit’s. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits, whole grain cereals, raw or lightly-cooked vegetables and sprouted seeds like alfalfa and mung beans.
The patient should avoid meats, tea, coffee, sugar, white flour and all products made from them. He should also avoid condiments, pickles, refined and processed foods, soft drinks candies and ice cream.
Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of stomatitis. The most important of these is the use of lemon (bara nimbu). Taking a tablespoon of lemon juice daily before meals will correct the functioning of the stomach and help cure the condition. The patient should also gargle several times daily with lemon juice mixed in water. This gargle can be prepared by mixing 20 ml. of lemon juice in 100 ml. of hot water.
Another simple but effective home remedy for stomatitis is the frequent use of a mouth-wash containing a teaspoon each of salt and baking soda in a glass of warm water. This should be used every two to three hours to keep the mouth as clean as possible.
The use of alum (phitkari) is also valuable in stomatitis.
The patient should gargle with alum diluted in hot water Concentrated solution of alum may also be applied will the help of a swab on the ulceration spot.
Other Measures
Proper oral hygiene is of utmost importance in the treatment of stomatitis. The patient should carefully brush his teeth and gums to remove any foul material. He should also take multi-vitamin tablets, especially those high in vitamin C and B complex. This will aid in recovery. Other helpful methods include fomentations every three hours over the mouth, cheeks and jaws and hot foot bath twice daily.
In case of hot foot bath, the patient should keep his legs in a tub or bucket filled with hot water at a temperature of 40° to 45°C. Before taking this bath, a glass of cold water shold be taken and the body should be covered with a blanket so as to ensure that no heat or vapour escapes from the foot bath. The duration of the bath is generally from 5 to 20 minutes. The patient should take a cold shower bath immediately after the bath.