What can cause a gum burn, and how to prevent complications?

Author of the article:

Soldatova Lyudmila Nikolaevna

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Clinical Dentistry of the St. Petersburg Medical and Social Institute, Chief Physician of the Alfa-Dent Dental Clinic, St. Petersburg

Doctors consider any burns on any part of the body to be the most painful injuries. With such damage, large areas of the skin are affected and nerve endings are damaged. Burns have a long recovery period and very unpleasant symptoms. And gum burns are especially painful. We will talk about what to do if you receive such an injury and, importantly, how to avoid it, in this article.

Why are gum burns dangerous?

Despite all the external harmlessness, any gum burn can lead to serious consequences. Firstly, after an injury it is easy to introduce an infection into the soft tissues and cause complications. Secondly, with severe burns and significant lesions, necrosis of the mucous membrane occurs, which requires immediate intervention by a specialist. It is important to remove dead tissue as soon as possible to prevent necrosis from spreading further.

Do not forget that the thin layer of epithelium in the mouth is a huge number of capillaries. It is the gums that ensure the correct and strong fastening of the teeth; it is the gums that keep our smiles beautiful and even for many years.

What to do if a burn appears on your gum? Possible causes, symptoms and treatment options

A burn to the oral mucosa is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. Even if the injury is very minor, discomfort and discomfort can persist for a long time. And if the lesion covers a wide area and affects the nerve endings, you definitely cannot do without the help of a specialist in such a situation. Due to the difficulty of isolating injured tissues, there is a serious risk of infection and the development of other equally dangerous complications. Read more about what types of gum burns there are and how to treat them further in this article.

Thermal burns

The most common injuries to the oral cavity are household thermal burns of the gums and mucous membranes. Each of us has received similar damage at least once in our lives: a careless sip of too hot coffee, and now we are suffering from unpleasant symptoms:

• blisters and bubbles filled with liquid appear on the gums;
• the gum surface becomes rough;
• bothered by continuous aching pain, which intensifies when touching and eating food;
• dryness may occur.

Contrary to common misconceptions, severe thermal burns are very dangerous for gums and can lead to disastrous consequences. Dentists distinguish several stages of development of a thermal burn:

1. The gums turn slightly red and recover quickly. The patient feels almost no pain and, if desired, can quickly cure such a gum burn at home.
2. Blood rushes to the gums, the tissues begin to darken, swell, some areas become white, and become very hot. Blisters appear on the surface of the gums.
3. The mucous membrane is significantly (sometimes almost completely) hidden under blisters and is severely damaged. The pain becomes unbearable. Immediate medical intervention is required.
4. The gums bleed profusely and become covered with flaps extending from the bone. The patient's jaw base is exposed, and there is a high risk of developing necrosis.

In more than 90% of cases, gum burns received in domestic conditions are first and second stage injuries. In such cases, fortunately, hospitalization is not required, and the discomfort can be relieved with pharmaceutical products.

Chemical burns

Another common type of injury to the oral cavity is a chemical burn to the gums, which occurs as a result of taking various medications and reagents.

Dental burns

A common type of chemical burn is injury to the gums during whitening with special compounds and polymers and dental treatment. Inattentive doctors can violate the application technique, and then drops of solutions and compositions will fall on the gums and burn the delicate mucous membrane when treating tissues with a UV lamp.

Dental chemical burns to the gums are particularly dangerous injuries. Such injuries are characterized by rapid development of deep wounds and death of soft tissue.

Work injuries

Employees of hazardous industries or finishing workers also suffer from chemical burns to the gums. Injury can occur both through contact with acids, metal salts and alkalis, and through their careless use.

Domestic injuries

Unfortunately, most often children who suffer from chemical burns to their gums are drawn to taste household chemicals. Some adults also suffer chemical injuries when they decide to try unlicensed gum supplements, medications, soothing agents, or toothpastes from unknown manufacturers.

Symptoms of chemical burns

Chemical burns to the gums do not manifest themselves in exactly the same way as thermal burns. This type of injury is characterized by the following manifestations:

• voluminous blisters on the gums;
• swollen tissue;
• severe pain, itching.

How to treat burns?

Gum burns are very unpleasant injuries. A person immediately feels a sharp pain, which can spread to the roots of the teeth and temples. It becomes difficult not only to eat food, but also to swallow saliva. The tongue constantly probes the rough surface and swollen areas. Many people note an unpleasant metallic taste in their mouth.

First aid

First aid depends on the type of gum burn. In case of domestic injuries, you must act according to the following scheme:

1. First, rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean water. Thus, the patient removes food debris and reduces the temperature. There is no need to swallow the water; a new portion should be taken after a minute. Some patients are helped by “freezing” the nerve receptors with pieces of ice.
2. Then the mouth can be rinsed with antiseptic preparations. An excellent healing agent for household injuries, including burns of the gums, is Asepta Active oral skewer. This remedy combines a combination of the anti-inflammatory, analgesic component benzydamine and the antimicrobial component chlorhexidine. This complex provides the antiseptic effect of the skewer while simultaneously relieving inflammation and pain, which increases the effectiveness and quality of tissue treatment.
3. If desired, the burned area can be treated with sea buckthorn oil and rinsed with furatsilin solution or chamomile decoction several times a day.

Treatment of chemical burns to the gums should be entrusted to a dentist. Such injuries require maximum care and caution. Substances can react even with ordinary water and cause inflammation.

For chemical burns of the gums, self-therapy is strictly not recommended. If the treatment is incorrectly selected, the patient may develop a fever and experience throbbing pain in the burn area. In advanced cases, people experience swelling in the throat and swallowing becomes difficult.

In each specific case, the dentist develops individual therapy:

• For acid burns of the gums, rinsing with alkaline solutions (for example, water with 1-3 drops of ammonia, apple cider vinegar or a pinch of baking soda) is prescribed.
• If the burn is caused by phenol, doctors prescribe ethyl alcohol and castor oil dissolved 1:1 with water as treatment.

What symptoms occur?

When the mucous membrane is damaged as a result of exposure to high temperatures, sharp pain occurs. This burn often appears on the tongue or palate. In this case, the surface within the affected area turns red and becomes slightly rough. Later, bubbles with a colorless liquid may appear in this place. After a rupture, painful ulcers remain in their place. This is what a gum burn looks like caused by contact of the mucous membrane with a hot drink or food.

The photo shows a gum burn

When exposed to chemicals, the injured area sharply turns red and swells. If the provoking factor is not removed in time, the lesion can spread to the deep layers of the mucosa and cause tissue necrosis.

Clinical researches

Repeated clinical studies have proven that the two-component oral skewers ASEPTA ACTIVE more effectively combats the causes of inflammation and bleeding compared to single-component skewers - it reduces inflammation by 41% and reduces bleeding gums by 43%.

Consumer Reviews

Natasha (vseotzyvy.ru)

“Mouth rinse Vertex JSC Asepta mouth rinse is sold in pharmacies, that’s why I bought it, it has more medicinal properties than just a cosmetic product, and indeed this rinse perfectly removes bad breath, disinfects gums, menthol gives freshness for almost a day perfectly helps smokers."

Dilya09 (otzovik.com)

“Hello to all readers of my review! I wanted to tell you my story about how I started using the Asepta oral brush.

It all started with the fact that I had an implant installed instead of an extracted tooth and was given strict instructions to rinse my mouth with chlogrexidine and, preferably, an oral scavenger. At the pharmacy, my choice fell on the Asepta drug, despite the price, because after the implantation procedure I had the feeling that now I would brush my teeth after every meal and rinse my mouth (it was just creepy). The price of this skimmer in pharmacies is above 160 rubles.

It doesn’t taste very nasty like some skimmers; after rinsing, it freshens your breath due to the “Lime” and “Mint” flavors. By the way, I don’t use it regularly anymore, I often forget to rinse my mouth, but, nevertheless, it is always present in the bathroom.

Of course, over the years, the memories of implantation have become dull, much has been forgotten, but Asepta and I are now friends. I take not only the skimmer, but also toothpaste. In general, not only is the skipper good, but the whole series is good. I recommend it to everyone who uses oral skewers.”

Causes

The soft tissues of the oral cavity are sensitive to lesions and are easily injured. Burns are caused by the negative effects of aggressive substances or high temperatures, usually when drinking tea or coffee that is too hot. It is not uncommon for burns to be caused by medications, by rinsing the mouth with alcohol-based solutions, or by applying analgin tablets. Sometimes burns are caused by professional whitening products when the wrong dosage is chosen or due to the lack of proper protection.

How to avoid complications?

In order not to aggravate the situation when treating gum burns, it is important to be attentive to yourself until the injury passes.

1. For any type of gum burns, dentists do not recommend eating spicy, sour, or salty foods until the tissues are completely restored. Strong flavors irritate the affected tissues and can significantly prolong the healing process.
2. You should not eat too hot foods - both during treatment and in the future, when the gums recover after the burn.
3. All medicines, household chemicals, paints, solvents, and building materials must be stored in specially designated areas out of the reach of children.

If the pain from a burn becomes excruciating, we can take painkillers or use light anesthetic gels with analgin or benzocaine.

Complex gum burns, in which soft tissue dies, can only be treated surgically. The doctor in the hospital removes dead pieces of tissue and covers the damaged areas with donor parts. Such a “jewelry” operation often requires repetitions and additions. After treatment, the surgeon must prescribe antibiotics to the patient so that bacteria and microbes do not appear in the wounds and dangerous suppuration does not begin.

We hope that all of the above tips on caring for burnt gums will be for informational purposes only. Be careful and attentive to yourself, and accidents will bypass you.

Sources:

1. The problem of treating inflammatory periodontal diseases in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus E.A. KHROMOVA* Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department I.V. KULIK* Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department N.A. UDALTSOVA**, ***candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the department; Deputy Chief Physician for Organizational and Methodological Work A.K. IORDANISHVILI****,*****Dr.Med.Sci., Professor, Professor of the Department *Department of General Dentistry, North-Western State Medical University named after. I.I. Mechnikov" of the Ministry of Health of Russia; ** St. Petersburg State Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Dental Clinic No. 29”, Frunzensky District, St. Petersburg; ***Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Surgical Dentistry of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "St. Petersburg State University" of the Government of Russia ****Department of Orthopedic Dentistry of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "North-Western State Medical University named after. I.I. Mechnikov" of the Ministry of Health of Russia; *****Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Surgical Dentistry of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov" of the Russian Ministry of Defense;
2. The role of anti-inflammatory rinse in the treatment of periodontal diseases (L.Yu. Orekhova, A.A. Leontyev, S.B. Ulitovsky) L.Yu. OREKHOVA, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof., Head of Department; A.A. LEONTIEV, dentist; S.B. ULITOVSKY, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof. Department of Therapeutic Dentistry of St. Petersburg State Medical University named after. acad. I. P. Pavlova
3. The role of hygiene products in the treatment of periodontal diseases (S.B. Ulitovsky Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Honored Dentist StAR Prof., Doctor of Medical Sciences, Department of Preventive Dentistry of Pavlov Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg) S.B. Ulitovsky - Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Honored Dentist of StAR, Prof., Doctor of Medical Sciences; E.S. Alekseeva - associate professor, candidate of medical sciences; A.A. Vasyanina - associate professor, candidate of medical sciences; V.A. Grigoriev - Associate Professor, Ph.D.

How to care for your mouth after an injury

It is important to maintain a high level of hygiene to prevent infection of damaged tissue. Here are a few rules that must be followed:

• every day, morning and evening, brush your teeth with a suitable brush and toothpaste,
• do not forget to clean plaque and food debris from the tongue,
• rinse your mouth every time after eating,
• limit the consumption of sweet and starchy foods, which contribute to faster plaque formation.

Proper dental hygiene is important to maintain a smile.
A burn to the gums can result in a host of serious problems if you do not respond to the problem in time and consult a doctor. Remember that only timely and adequate treatment can prevent undesirable consequences and dangerous complications.

1Ivanova E. N., Kukushkina E. A. Diseases of the oral mucosa. Textbook, 2007.

Reviews

A burn is a dangerous condition with its consequences. At the first symptoms, you should immediately contact a specialist.

Only timely initiation and proper treatment will help quickly eliminate symptoms and prevent consequences.

You can talk about your experience in treating a burn, the effectiveness of the drugs and therapeutic methods used, by leaving a comment on this article.

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First aid

There is no need to delay the process of contacting a specialist; as first aid, it is recommended to do the following:

• limit contact with a potential irritant;
• rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm (not hot or cold!) water;
• in case of severe pain, it is allowed to take a dose of painkiller;
• call an ambulance or go to the nearest hospital yourself.

How effective is the treatment of periodontal disease with injections and the drugs used?

In this publication we will talk about the need to determine periodontal indices.

Follow the link https://www.vash-dentist.ru/lechenie/desnyi/gingivit/prichinyi-poyavleniya-privkusa-krovi-vo-rtu.html if you are interested in the reasons for the taste of blood in the mouth.

Degree of problem

• first stage: occurs with minor contact of the irritant with the gums. It is characterized by local redness and pain, aggravated by touch or mechanical impact on the damaged area. Goes away on its own in a few days
• second stage: painful blisters and vesicles filled with fluid appear. Some people experience numbness in the gums, but more often - severe pain,
• third stage: accompanied by severe swelling and redness (whitening), blackening (charring) of tissues is also possible. Damage to the gums is pronounced. Often in addition there are injuries to the larynx, respiratory tract and esophagus. Their presence can lead to a sharp deterioration in general health, refusal to eat, increased body temperature and fever. Wounds take a long time to heal, since tissue damage is deep and affects all layers.

The third stage is dangerous due to necrosis. You definitely shouldn’t self-medicate here. You need to see a doctor, and in the most severe cases, it is best to immediately call an ambulance.

Treatment tactics

If a person can cope with stage I burns on their own without consequences, then the second, and especially the third, require immediate medical attention.

The intensity and duration of the therapeutic course depends on many factors, so no one will undertake to name the exact timing.

Treatment of injury is carried out using:

1. Rinsing the mouth with disinfecting solutions, for example, Furacilin, Chlorhexidine, or decoctions, infusions of medicinal plants.
2. Lubricating with painkillers that contain lidocaine or benzocaine, such as Kalgel, Dentol.
3. Applications with healing ointments, for example, Metrogyl-Denta, Solcoseryl.
4. Taking antibiotics Nise, Ketanol, Nurofen.

Additionally, recommendations regarding nutrition are given. During the treatment period, it is necessary to exclude drinks and foods that irritate the mucous membrane. This applies to sour, salty, hot, spicy, cold, sweet dishes.

In case of particularly severe damage, which results in tissue atrophy and exposure of the jaw bone, surgery is added to the therapeutic treatment. In a clinical setting, a dental surgeon removes all necrotic tissues, replacing them with donor ones.

Important! Any stage of a burn is fraught with the development of severe complications and long-term treatment. Therefore, it is important to follow the rules for the safe use of household chemicals and consume hot foods carefully.

Folk remedies

Among traditional medicine methods, infusions and decoctions of chamomile, St. John's wort, oak bark and other medicinal plants are especially popular.

They have an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerating effect. They are used as rinses in combination with drug therapy.

To speed up the healing of gums after a burn, it is allowed to make compresses from sea buckthorn oil . Apply a few drops of oil to a sterile gauze pad or cotton wool and apply to the affected area for 10-15 minutes.

At the same time, doctors do not recommend getting carried away with self-medication , as this in most cases entails the development of complications.

Expected Result

A burn with timely treatment has a positive prognosis in terms of recovery. Your doctor can tell you the exact healing time. The gums after this injury heal in about 14 days of intensive care.

The duration of this process depends on the degree and type of damage, as well as on the general health of the person.

A burn without treatment is dangerous for the development of rapid inflammation , bone exposure and tissue necrosis, which negatively affects the entire body.