Blog Highlights

• If you happen to burn your mouth with too hot or spicy food, there are several things you can do
• There are three types of mouth burns
•  If your burn doesn’t heal on its own, you should make an appointment to see your dentist

We’ve all done it: impatiently bitten into a steaming piece of pizza or eagerly downed a warm cup of coco only to realize, too late, that we misjudged the temperature and our mouth is on fire. While it’s better to wait for your food and drinks to cool off to a safe temperature before consuming them, if you happen to burn your mouth with too hot or spicy food, there are several things you can do.

Burns come in all shapes, sizes, and types. There are three types of mouth burns, some are caused by temperature, others by spicy heat or capsaicin, which is found in chilli dishes, and the last type is caused by hot mustard or wasabi type foods. Fortunately there are some home remedies that can help ease the pain from all of these types of burns.

If you burn your tongue or palate, reduce the heat and limit the damage it causes by using a cold or iced drink. For really bad burns, you might find relief by sucking on an ice cube. Once the initial pain is gone, steer clear of salty foods until your mouth fully heals.

For spicy foods, such as curries, that produce an uncomfortable stinging sensation on your tongue, try eating something dairy. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, or even ice cream, help dissolve the spicy oils which cause damage and result in pain in your mouth.

For wasabi or mustard pastes or anything closely related, you should find comfort by drinking a glass of water or milk. These types of pastes are more water soluble than foods like curry and don’t require the use of dairy.

Mouth burns often heal quickly. If your burn doesn’t heal on its own, you should make an appointment to see your dentist. A lasting burn or a burn that doesn’t heal could indicate some other issue.