We all know that terrible feeling you got too excited to take a drink of your coffee before it had cooled, and then your mouth was sore for the rest of the day. Burns in the mouth are generally minor and will go away within one to two days. Sometimes though, they can be quite painful and irritating, so knowing how to care for the skin in your mouth can help.

How Can Burns in The Mouth Happen?
There are several areas in the mouth that commonly get burned - the roof of the mouth, the throat, and the tongue. Usually, the roof of the mouth is scalded if you sip a hot drink such as coffee or tea, through a straw and it shoots upward. For the tongue, biting into a hot piece of food, particularly something sticky like cheese, or taking a big drink of something from a mug often causes a burn. If you've ever tried to swallow something hot to get it out of your mouth, you've also probably experienced the burning in your throat. The best way to prevent or decrease the damage from eating and drinking hot things is to spit them out quickly to reduce the amount of time they have to harm the skin in your mouth. Or better yet, wait until your food or drink has cooled down slightly before consuming it.

What Foods Can Help The Pain?
Water is the first solution. As soon as you feel a burn in your mouth, start drinking cool, not ice-cold, water to help prevent further damage. The coolness of the water can help soothe pain. Yogurt and milk are also helpful to soothe burns. Again, if they are slightly cold from being in the fridge, the temperature can feel nice. They can also create a temporary barrier on the skin to protect it from irritation. Some people may have heard of mustard as a remedy for burns, but there is actually little evidence that mustard has any positive effects on burns. In fact, most mustard contains vinegar, which can irritate the skin more. It is best to just avoid the more controversial remedies. If the burn seems to get worse with home treatments, visit the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa for professional advice.

What Medications Help With Pain?
Any over the counter pain medicine can temporarily help with swelling and pain. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are two products commonly sold at drug stores. They are not good to take for long-term pain, taking the recommended dose for one to two days should help deal with the onset pain.

What Food/Drinks Should I Avoid After a Burn?
Of course, stay away from hot foods and beverages for at least 24 hours after burning your mouth. Trying to eat something hot can make a burn worse and reverse the healing your body has started. It is also best to avoid spicy, carbonated, and sour foods, which can disrupt and irritate the damaged tissue. Minty gum or candy may also cause a burning sensation because of the menthol in it.

How to Know The Severity of a Burn
Burns are classified into first, second, and third degree. Third is the worst, but most uncommon, kind of burn. Third degree burns are often painless, which is not a good sign. This means the damage has gotten to the nerves, so you don't have sensation left in that area. A second degree burn will be much more painful, and will most likely include blisters and intense swelling. For a first degree, you'll experience minor tissue damage with some redness and swelling, and probably a little pain.

How to Know When to Seek Medical Help
If you think you have gotten a second, or even third, degree burn, definitely go to a doctor or dentist. If the damage is bad enough, you may need a skin graft to help repair the damage done to the tissue. More likely though, a medical professional will be able to clean the burns and give you a stronger painkiller to help ease the pain for a few days while the skin repairs itself.
The Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa can help you diagnose and decide how to treat a burn if you are concerned about the severity.

What Else Should I Know?
Never ignore more serious symptoms after a burn. If you think you may have an infection, seek medical attention right away. Symptoms of infection include sudden fever and intense swelling or pus around the burn. If you get a blister, never try to pop it. Although burns in the mouth are generally fairly minor, it is still important to be aware of what is happening in your body so you can stay healthy and happy.

Accidents happen to everyone. If youʼve experienced a mouth burn, donʼt hesitate to contact us. At the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa we are here to help you with any dental emergency.