Ow. That Was Way Too Hot to Eat.
October 13, 2022 4:10 AM Subscribe
I burnt the inside of my mouth on a piece of food last week. It still feels rough and not healing today. Is there anything I should be or could be doing to heal it? What would a dentist do to heal it?
My dentist recommended Ricinol - for me it helps heal most canker sores and any irritation from burns much faster.
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 5:27 AM on October 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 5:27 AM on October 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
To some extent, it just has to go through the whole healing process. But salt water rinses can help soothe sore tissue, as well as any rinse for mouth sores.
The other side is not irritating/damaging it further while it heals. Presumably this was the roof of your mouth you burned? A soft food regimen - soft and lukewarm at best - that doesn't require pressing or grinding against your upper palate or cutting with your front teeth can also help - no sandwiches, chips, pizza. You should also be mindful of the sodium content of that food - while a saltwater rinse is good, overly salty food will irritate. Avoid acidic food like tomato and citrus. Drink through a straw. TRY not to poke at it constantly with your tongue.
The damaged skin has to come off, and what's underneath is going to be tender for a bit, so you will need to baby and protect it just like you would a serious burn elsewhere on your skin.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:10 AM on October 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
The other side is not irritating/damaging it further while it heals. Presumably this was the roof of your mouth you burned? A soft food regimen - soft and lukewarm at best - that doesn't require pressing or grinding against your upper palate or cutting with your front teeth can also help - no sandwiches, chips, pizza. You should also be mindful of the sodium content of that food - while a saltwater rinse is good, overly salty food will irritate. Avoid acidic food like tomato and citrus. Drink through a straw. TRY not to poke at it constantly with your tongue.
The damaged skin has to come off, and what's underneath is going to be tender for a bit, so you will need to baby and protect it just like you would a serious burn elsewhere on your skin.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:10 AM on October 13, 2022 [4 favorites]
Burns, awful as they are, generally heal pretty quickly on their own, and require no intervention from a dentist. Advice maybe, like gentle rinsing, applying topical anesthetics, and avoiding abrasive foods (like crusty bread), but there's little other than time that will aid in the actual healing.
There used to be a product called orabase with benzocaine, but it's not available in the US any more. It was great because it had a paste-like consistency, so it protected the area in addition to numbing it. Orajel and the like fail in this because, while they do numb the area while they are around, they are so thin that they don't last.
If you happen to have an appliance that you wear (ortho retainer, night guard, partial denture) and it covers the affected area, you could apply an orajel-type anesthetic under it and then wear it to help protect it while it heals. Most times, however, the area is so tender that wearing the appliance makes it more uncomfortable. YMMV.
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:15 AM on October 13, 2022
There used to be a product called orabase with benzocaine, but it's not available in the US any more. It was great because it had a paste-like consistency, so it protected the area in addition to numbing it. Orajel and the like fail in this because, while they do numb the area while they are around, they are so thin that they don't last.
If you happen to have an appliance that you wear (ortho retainer, night guard, partial denture) and it covers the affected area, you could apply an orajel-type anesthetic under it and then wear it to help protect it while it heals. Most times, however, the area is so tender that wearing the appliance makes it more uncomfortable. YMMV.
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:15 AM on October 13, 2022
Antibiotic oral pain reliever, salt water rinses, time and gentle foods, but also you can eat chilly and frozen things as well as eat crushed ice to help numb the area. Try freezing grapes, lychees, bananas, or melons. Most sorbet is chock full of acidic flavors, and avoiding all the dairy in ice cream is likely wise, so keep that to a minimum. Cold green tea will likely feel soothing, too.
posted by Mizu at 8:26 AM on October 13, 2022
posted by Mizu at 8:26 AM on October 13, 2022
What would a dentist do to heal it?
When they cut a chunk out of the roof of my mouth to sew onto my gums the advice for healing was "wait a month". Unless you have other complications or health concerns it should heal up on it's own.
posted by Dynex at 8:30 AM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
When they cut a chunk out of the roof of my mouth to sew onto my gums the advice for healing was "wait a month". Unless you have other complications or health concerns it should heal up on it's own.
posted by Dynex at 8:30 AM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
I burn the roof of my mouth a lot more often than I'd care to admit and yeah, it just takes some time. Some skin will likely slough off as it heals, and this is normal. You should start seeing an improvement around the second week, I'd expect. Honestly excited to learn that there are treatments to help with the tenderness and such, as I've never used them and mostly just tried to stick to softer and blander foods.
posted by Aleyn at 2:23 PM on October 13, 2022
posted by Aleyn at 2:23 PM on October 13, 2022
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posted by Countess Elena at 4:48 AM on October 13, 2022 [6 favorites]