Burning your mouth is no fun, and with chilly weather and January being National Soup Month, there are bound to be more mouths burned. While there’s no cure for a mouth burn, there are ways to treat the symptoms, which can make you feel more comfortable and help you heal faster.
Oral Burns
Have you ever been so “hangry” for pizza that you took a bite before letting the slice cool down? There’s actually a legit term for that called “pizza palate”, which is when you burn the roof of your mouth from hot pizza.
The soft tissues in your mouth are very susceptible to burns because they are delicate and thin. You can burn any part of your mouth – gums, roof, tongue. And don’t worry, you won’t burn off your taste buds, but the papillae (little bumps on your tongue) might temporarily vanish. On a positive note, mouth burns and oral injuries in general tend to heal pretty quickly.
The classic symptoms of a burned mouth include pain, redness, swelling, and peeling when healing. Oral burns are usually first degree, or superficial, and can be treated at home. They cause minimal damage and almost always lead to a full recovery. On the other hand, more serious burns such as second- or third-degree burns require immediate medical attention, especially if the burn won’t heal, you develop a fever, or you have trouble swallowing.
Treating the Symptoms
Time is of the essence when it comes to burning your mouth. The sooner you treat the symptoms, the better off you’ll be! According to Colgate, your first response determines the length of your recovery. Here are some pain relief tips they recommend for treating a burned mouth.
Keep it sweet: While sugar is not your teeth’s best friend, it can help dull the pain of an oral burn. You can sprinkle a little bit directly on the burn or even apply honey, which is thicker and has antibacterial properties.
Pop a chill pill: Sometimes the topical treatments don’t do much for pain, so in that case, it’s okay to take some Tylenol or ibuprofen if you need it.
Soothe with cool: Probably the easiest and most popular remedy is to ease the pain with something cold like ice cubes or a cold drink. Extreme cold can numb the pain and reduce redness and swelling.
Swish with Salt: Rubbing salt into the wound sounds painful but swishing with warm salty water can actually reduce pain and swelling because salt is a natural antiseptic.
What to Avoid
Well to avoid getting an oral burn in the first place make sure that you consume hot foods and beverages with caution. In the event that you experience a burned mouth, be sure to avoid things that can make it worse or slow the healing process. Stay clear of acidic foods like citrus, coffee, and tomatoes. Also, avoid anything mint or cinnamon flavored. Lastly, stay away from alcohol and tobacco, which don’t do your body good anyway.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding oral burns, call us at 954-344-4488, or complete an online appointment request to schedule your consultation.