How to soothe a burned mouth

With the temperature dropping and the first flakes of snow falling, it might be tempting to turn to a toasty treat to warm you up. Christmas markets are brimming with mulled wine stalls, and hot chocolate. Cooler foods and drinks, and those served at room temperature aren’t quite as attractive when winter sets in. However, it can be all too easy to make haste when trying to get cosy. And whilst it might seem like a good idea at the time, many of us regret sipping too soon. Burning your mouth can certainly be a nasty shock. In today’s article, we’d like to bring you some top tips, as described in a recent Daily Mail article, to help remedy a burned mouth.

When we tuck into foods that are too hot, we can find ourselves left with a sore area on our tongue, or on the roof of our mouth. It might sometimes feel a bit numb too. These burns can last for several days, and can be very uncomfortable. The skin in our mouth is more sensitive that it is on other parts of our body, and there isn’t a fat layer between the skin and bone to take the edge off the pain. This means that, when we burn our mouths, the pain can last several days.

In discussion with the Daily Mail, Dr Eunjung Jo makes the following recommendations to help a mouth burn heal up more quickly:

• Opt for softer foods that aren’t too textured. This means that the affected area won’t be further irritated.
• Keep clear of food and drinks that are particularly hot, cold or spicy. Aim rather for foods that are at room temperature. Again, this reduces the risk of further irritation.
• Avoid acidic drinks such as coffee and wine.
• Try to keep your mouth as clean as possible, to prevent bacteria potentially leading to infection.
• If your burn is particularly serious, medical treatment maybe need: specialist mouthwashes are available.

Obviously, prevention is better than cure, so it’s a good idea to check the temperature of your food and drink before getting stuck in. However, sometimes we all leap in a little too soon. We hope that the advice above will help you to take steps to speed up the healing process, and prevent further irritation and complications in the future.