Silver nitrate
Surgical excision of aphthous ulcers has been described, but it is an ineffective and inappropriate treatment. Silver nitrate has also been used as a chemical cauterant. Apart from the mainstream approaches detailed above, there are numerous treatments of unproven effectiveness, ranging from herbal remedies to otherwise alternative treatments, including "Aloe vera", "Myrtus communis", "Rosa damascena", potassium alum, zinc sulfate, nicotine, polio virus vaccine and prostaglandin E2. Finally, a steroid rinse known as dexamethasone elixir has shown to be quite effective against pre-sores (which usually present themselves as small, reddish bumps), as well as sores that are already in existence.