It’s something we all do on a regular basis and swear each time that we’ll never do it again. Having found it impossible to hold out long enough for that piece of pizza to cool beyond the temperature of molten lava, you go ahead and bite on it. And summarily scream as boiling-hot cheese sticks to the roof of your mouth. Which is painful enough at the time, but cannot be compared to the on-going agony of the burn that then sticks around for way too long.
Burns to the roof of the mouth are incredibly deceptive. First of all, it’s way easier than you think to damage the seriously sensitive tissue in your mouth. You might think your mouth’s tough enough to cope with anything, but it isn’t. Secondly, despite the fact that the burn itself might only be a few millimetres in diameter, it feels like someone is literally stabbing at your mouth with a red-hot screwdriver. Thirdly and finally, you get the feeling you’re being overly punished for a very small crime, given the way in which they take forever to disappear.
The pain of the burn itself is bad enough, but it is made even worse by the fact that you still have to eat and drink while it’s healing. If you’ve ever experienced one for yourself, you’ll know that anything that isn’t soft, mushy and lukewarm has the potential to be excruciatingly painful to deal with. Suffice to say, sharp and spiky salt and vinegar crisps are nothing short of the antichrist when you’re dealing with a painful mouth burn.
Dealing With the Problem
So that’s the hideousness of the problem outlined – now on to the small matter of doing something about it. The good news is that even though it may feel as if the devil himself is poking your mouth from the inside, pretty much every common mouth burn will heal on itself over time. You won’t need medical attention or prescription drugs, unless it’s a very, VERY severe burn – in which case be sure to see your doctor or dentist right away.
Otherwise, it’s more a case of minimising the pain and inflammation while nature takes its course, which can be helped along in a number of ways including the following:
Take Care When Brushing
First of all, you’re going to need to take extra care when brushing your teeth, in order to avoid making things more painful and long-winded than they need to be. Even if you have the best electric toothbrush for sensitive teeth on the market, it might still do a number on your burn. Approach your daily oral hygiene regime very, very carefully and gently – especially around the area of the burn itself. You could also ask your local pharmacist or dentist to advise you on the best antibacterial mouthwash that’s suitable for use for these kinds of things, which although potentially painful to use could at least help speed up the healing process.
Use OTC Painkillers
Generally speaking, any kind of mild to moderate pain and inflammation anywhere in the body will respond well to standard OTC painkillers. Along with reducing the pain you’ll be feeling on a pretty constant basis, the reduction in inflammation can actually help speed the healing process along. Of course, these kinds of painkillers will do little to help the pain you’ll feel if you stab the burn with hard or sharp foods. So you’ll still have to be very careful, but they’re nonetheless useful when it comes to temporary relief.
Careful Eating and Drinking
Speaking of which, you’re going to have to bite the bullet (no pun intended) and temporarily make rather sizeable changes to the foods and drinks you consume. Not only this, but also the way you consume them. Careful eating and drinking when it comes to caring for mouth burns means avoiding anything sharp or hard, being wary of things that are packed with citric acid or vinegar and under no circumstances allowing anything to enter your mouth that is even remotely too hot. In addition to this, you’ll need to be very careful when it comes to the way you chew your food, to prevent further damage and pain to the affected area. Sure, it’s a pain in the backside and takes the fun out of eating, but it’s only temporary and will save you a lot of suffering!
Antiseptic Mouthwash
As already touched upon, there are plenty of antiseptic products and mouthwashes on the market right now, which can be great for both keeping the damaged area clean and helping relieve the pain at least a little. You’ll want to be careful when choosing your mouthwash however as there are some that will inevitably feel about as comfortable as acid when put to use. The best advice therefore being to seek professional advice before deciding which product to pick up, either from a pharmacist or dentist.
Stop Playing With It
Last but not least, it might be hard to do but it’s still important to at least try to resist the temptation to continually poke at and play with the burn in your mouth with your tongue. Without getting too graphic, your tongue harbours more dirt, grime, germs and bacteria than you’d probably like to know – all of which you’ll be smearing all over the burn each time you poke at it. And of course, physically interrupting the healing process is also a bad idea, for obvious reasons.
When to Seek Medical Advice
As with anything to do with your health and wellbeing, the best time to seek advice is the first moment you have any concerns whatsoever. Whether it’s the pain that’s too severe, the size of the burn that’s worrying you, its appearance, the fact that it doesn’t seem to be healing or any other side effects accompanying it, it’s always better to be safe for your own good.
Chances are it will turn out to be nothing, but you’ll instantly feel better by getting the all-clear from your doctor or dentist.
