When You Burn Your Mouth, How Can You Make Your Mouth Hurt Less? Posted on 6/23/2017 by Sundberg Office The tissues in your mouth are sensitive, but it’s easy to forget that fact when a delicious steaming pizza is placed before you on the table, or you’re eager for your first sip of coffee in the morning. Piping hot foods or beverages and your gums do not mix. The next thing you know, you feel a searing pain, as the roof of your mouth, your tongue or even your gums are burned. Here are a few ways to help you deal with the pain. Cool Foods and Drinks Anything cold will help to numb the pain of an oral burn. Milk, in particular, coats your mouth, providing you with a layer of comfort. Reach for ice (but don’t chew it!), ice cream, ice pops, pudding, or yogurt. Rinse Your Mouth Mix a salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon to 8 ounces of water) and rinse out your mouth. A salt water rinse can provide you with a bit of pain relief and has been proven to promote healing. And while an infection from an oral burn may be rare, a salt water rinse will help to draw it out, should it occur.
OTC Medication
Hit up your medicine cabinet. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen or benzocaine can help to reduce pain and alleviate inflammation. But don’t take more than the daily recommended dose. If the pain is too much to bear, call your dentist.
Aloe Vera
The gel inside of an aloe vera plant has been known to alleviate the pain of burns on your body. It can also be used in your mouth as well. Aside from gel, aloe vera can be found in the form of beverages and in mouthwashes.
Avoid Certain Foods for a While
Certain foods and beverages can irritate an oral burn. Stay away from foods that are hot, salty, spicy and/or crunchy for a while. It may not be fun to avoid foods that you love, but it will mean less pain and expedite the healing process. For the most part, a burn in the mouth will heal on its own in a week to 10 days, and doesn’t need dental intervention. However, if you have a lesion or bump that hasn’t gone away after two weeks, regardless of whether or not you feel pain, or the pain is so severe it is interfering with your ability to eat, it’s time to contact our office.