Gum burn

Burn is one of the most common injuries. Often this way affects the oral cavity. Burning the gums is very simple - just eat something too hot. In addition, burns can occur due to other reasons.

Causes of the gum burn

In the home, thermal burns often occur due to the reception of very hot food or drinks (such as coffee, tea, etc.). Chemical burns usually appear due to attempts to eliminate toothache with analgin, alcohol or other medications.

Symptoms of the gum burn

The symptom of a thermal type burn is severe pain, and the oral mucosa becomes rough. If the burn is more pronounced, vesicles can form on the gum, and then they burst, causing ulcers.

In the case of a chemical burn, reddening of the injured area occurs, after which a weak edema is formed. If the impact of the damaging substance on the gum is not eliminated, deeper tissue destruction with the development of necrosis can begin.

Stages

There are 3 stages of gum burns:

• On the 1st there is a slight reddening of the mucosa, and then the edema of the gums begins, and painful sensations appear, if it is pressed;
• At the second stage, blisters are formed on the gum, containing serous fibrous exudate. After their opening, the mucous membrane acquires a bright red color, and the gum itself hurts. It should be remembered that this surface is very easily infected;
• At the third stage, in addition to the above manifestations, the process of dying of the gum tissue is observed.

[1], [2]

Forms

There are 2 types of burns that differ depending on the factor that provoked the lesion:

• Thermal burn, which appears under the influence of high temperature, radiation or electric current;
• Chemical burn, which develops due to the influence of various chemicals.

[3], [4]

Chemical burn of gums

A chemical burn of the gums often develops as a result of the effect on the oral tissues of chemical preparations (usually medicines used in dental practice: such as arsenic paste, phenol, and also silver nitrate and formalin).

[5]

Arsenic burn

From a gum burn with arsenic, necrosis can develop, and this is a very common problem in patients treating teeth. The prolonged exposure to arsenic is poisonous to the tissues, which, as a result, causes such consequences. If the arsenic paste has not been hermetically sealed in the tooth with a temporary filling, it will penetrate outside, there is a risk of developing a gum burn. This entails the destruction of bone cells - the so-called osteonecrosis. This disease is dangerous because it is chronic and constantly progressing. Duration of the disease can be 1-10 years, and it should be taken into account that at first it does not manifest itself in any way. Later, pain appears in the bone, and neuropathy also develops.

[6], [7], [8]

Burning gums with alcohol

It can result from rinsing the mouth with this substance to eliminate toothache.

To treat this kind of burn is necessary, based on how much the mucous was injured. If the burn is weak, there will be enough home procedures. If the injury is more serious, you should consult a doctor.

Treatment of the victim is as follows:

• It is necessary to rinse the mouth with disinfecting and analgesic solutions;
• Do injections with pain medication;
• Take sedatives (valerian);
• Use anti-inflammatory drugs (ointments or gels) to avoid suppuration and infection of the mucosa;
• Use wound-healing drugs (oil solutions).

During treatment, the victim should adhere to a diet - there are no sharp, salty, acidic, pickled, smoked dishes so as not to irritate the mucous.

Complications and consequences

Without timely treatment with a chemical burn, the gum begins to swell, a strong irritation begins, and the mucous blushes. The consequence of this may be the development of necrosis, which in the future will lead to the development of tissue necrosis.

How long does the gum healing after a burn?

The duration of therapy after a burn depends on a variety of different factors (such as, for example, the extent and type of damage), so only the doctor can predict the timing of recovery after studying the clinical picture.

[9], [10]

Diagnostics of the gum burn

To diagnose the damage, the doctor should collect anamnesis and analyze the information obtained as a result of the examination of the victim.

[11], [12], [13], [14], [15]

Differential diagnosis

The burn resulting from exposure to a chemical should be differentiated from an allergic reaction to substances such as amalgam or plastic.

Treatment of the gum burn

Since it is impossible to obtain complete information on the strength of tissue damage and determine the vector of therapy, you need to seek help from a dentist. But first you can give the victim first aid, which will facilitate his condition and contribute to further treatment:

• Eliminate the substance that triggered the burn, removing its remains from the victim's mouth;
• Perform the procedure for rinsing the mouth - this is suitable for simple warm water;
• Give the patient an analgesic (this should only be done if the patient feels a sharp throbbing pain, which in the future can cause a pain shock).

Medicinal treatment

In case of mild burn, doctors recommend rinsing the mouth with antiseptic drugs: such as hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate or furacilin.

Hydrogen peroxide is contraindicated if the patient has an increased sensitivity to the elements of the drug. Among the side reactions - burning in the wound in the process of treatment, as well as allergies. To rinse the mouth, you need a solution at a concentration of 0.25% (you need to dilute the solution 3% with water in a ratio of 1 to 11).

Furacilin is contraindicated in bleeding and hypersensitivity to drugs. It is used as follows: to rinse the mouth, you need 20 mg of medicine (this is 1 table), which must be dissolved in water (100 ml). Among the adverse reactions is an allergy to the elements of the drug.

Potassium permanganate is contraindicated in case of drug intolerance. Among the adverse reactions is an allergy to the drug. To rinse your mouth, you need a solution of 0.01-0.1%.

In addition, the wound on the gum can be healed with the help of regenerating ointments - metrogil or solcoseryl.

Alternative treatment and herbal treatment

There are several options for treating burns by alternative means.

You can use the leaves of a narrow-leaved chamerion to rinse the oral cavity. The broth is made in the proportion of 15/200 (15 is the mass of the ingredients, and 200 is the volume of water).

The herb of the plant is discoid chamomile, from which it is necessary to make a decoction, dividing the components in the proportions of 20/200. In addition, from the grass, you can make a tincture - 40 g of chamomile diluted with water in the proportion 1k10.

Grass fragrant violet - a decoction for rinsing is prepared in the proportion of 20/200.

Operative treatment

A severe burn of the gums may lead to tissue necrosis. In this case, to prevent the spread of the disease to still living cells, you need to remove already dead tissue.

Prevention

As a preventive measure, you should not eat too much hot food (especially in this case, you need to follow the children, since the mucosal tissues are less resistant to them). Also, when using medicines to eliminate toothache, it is necessary to prevent the possibility of their contact with the gums - beforehand, the medicine should be wrapped in cotton wool.

[16], [17]

Forecast

Gum burn during fast and timely treatment has a favorable prognosis.