A burn is a common and dangerous injury. Often the oral cavity, usually the gums, is also affected. This happens for various reasons, but in any case, it is necessary to treat the damaged area. About the burn of the gums and methods of therapy are described in the article.
Reasons
Gum burn can be thermal, it usually appears from hot food and drinks: tea, coffee, soup. This phenomenon is considered less dangerous compared to a chemical burn. It usually comes from:
- self-elimination of toothache with alcohol or analgin;
- mouth rinses with strong solutions;
- medication and alkaline drugs;
- swallowed household chemicals.
Medication is a common cause of burns. The consequence occurs when mucous membranes come into contact with aggressive agents used in dental practice:
- phenol;
- silver nitrate;
- formalin;
- arsenic paste;
- resorcinol-formalin mixture;
Views
Burngums can be chemical and thermal. It all depends on the root cause:
- Thermal burn occurs due to the influence of temperatures (high and low), as well as electric current and radiation.
- Chemical burn is a consequence of the negative effects of chemicals and reagents.
After dental treatment, there may be a chemical burn of the gums with arsenic or alcohol. Arsenic in dentistry is used for pain relief with prolonged exposure. This can lead not only to a burn, but also to the destruction of the tooth, jaw bone tissue. This symptom appears when the oral cavity is treated with alcohol solutions, if there is a high sensitivity of the soft tissues.
Alcoholic
This type of burn appears due to self-treatment of toothache with alcohol lotions or rinses. A mild form of alcohol burn is treated at home. If its area is large, you need to see a doctor to select therapy.
From arsenic
This burn occurs from poor-quality tooth filling. Arsenic embedded in the tooth penetrates through the holes and injures nearby tissues. A burn can lead to tissue death, it is complicated by the destruction of bone cells.
Symptoms
If you look at the photo, the gum burn can be identified by redness. The symptoms of a thermal appearance include the appearance of:
- sharp pain;
- rough mucous surface;
- bubbles on the defensive part of the gums;
- ulcerative neoplasms.
Chemical gum burn manifests itself as:
- swelling and redness;
- tissue necrosis with deep lesions.
A burn can occur in any person, but those who, due to work and life, come into contact with medicines and radiation, increased electric current, are at risk. In addition, any visitor to the dental office may experience injury.
Degrees
Doctors distinguish 3 degrees of severity of gum burns:
- There is a mild redness of the gums and mucous membranes, swelling in the affected area and pain when touched.
- Edema becomes pronounced, bubbles appear on the gums containing exudate inside. The mucosa turns bright red, and there is constant pain.
- In addition to these symptoms, infection of the affected gums occurs, and the pathological process of death of the affected tissues begins. If certain measures are not taken, the gums die off with a chemical burn. There is severe irritation, and the mucous membrane turns red.
Negative Consequences
In disrepair:
- necrosis develops;
- fabrics die off;
- jaw breaks;
- the front part is deformed.
Diagnosis
If there is a gum burn, what to do, how to provide first aid? To do this, you need:
- Remove the root cause that led to this: food, chemicals, drugs.
- Rinse your mouth with clean, warm water.
- Rinse your mouth with an antiseptic, you can use special ointments.
A burn can lead to serious negative consequences. If there is a burn of the gums, then you need to go to the doctor for an examination. With a strong burning sensation of the gums, painkillers are taken to eliminate pain: "Analgin" or "Nimesil". For diagnosis, the doctor visually examines the oral cavity, collects an anamnesis, analyzes the collected information, and then prescribes treatment.
How to treat
Treatment of gum burn can be medical and surgical. If a slight degree of damage to the gum tissue is detected, the dentist prescribes rinsing the mouth with hydrogen peroxide, a solution of potassium permanganate or furacilin. When using each tool has its own characteristics:
- Hydrogen peroxide. The tool is contraindicated in case of severe sensitivity and allergies to it. A side effect of its use is a burn of the oral cavity, which only exacerbates the situation. The solution should be prepared based on 1 part of peroxide 11 parts of water.
- Furacilin. To prepare the solution, 1 tablet per 100 ml of water is required. It is necessary to take into account the presence of an allergy to the drug.
- Potassium permanganate. Rinse the mouth should not be in case of individual intolerance to the remedy. In order to prevent negative consequences, it is necessary to properly prepare the rinse solution. Its strength should not exceed 0.1%.
- Ointments. A gum burn after tooth extraction or for other reasons is treated with Metrogil or Solcoseryl. Ointments acceleraterestoration and healing of damaged tissues.
Surgical treatment is relevant for extensive lesions and predisposition to tissue necrosis. In this situation, the removal of affected tissues is required to prevent the spread of the destructive process and sepsis.
With the adoption of prompt first aid measures and the appointment of a suitable course of therapy, the prognosis for a burn is positive. Therefore, it is important to contact a specialist in a timely manner.
Traditional medicine
How to treat a gum burn from folk remedies? For rinsing the mouth, decoctions and infusions of chamomile, sage, fragrant violets are used. You need to cook them according to the instructions on the package. Also, keep in mind that you can not rinse your mouth with soda, as it irritates the affected tissues, although it is a powerful antiseptic.
Before using any traditional medicine, you should consult a doctor and take into account the individual intolerance of certain herbal remedies. As a preventive measure, strongly hot foods should be excluded from the diet, and when taking medications, minimize their contact with the gums.
Healing time
Healing time depends on many factors. It is affected by the stage, form, state of he alth. Only a doctor can predict the exact timing. Usually the gum heals within two weeks with proper and timely treatment.
Gum care
After treating a gum burn, proper oral care must be taken to avoidallow this process to be repeated. If you follow the basic recommendations, you can avoid many problems:
- Oral hygiene should take about five minutes, and brushing should be done 2-3 times a day.
- Gum inflammation usually starts at the base of the tooth, where plaque builds up due to improper care. For this reason, these areas should be cleaned thoroughly, performing rotational movements with a brush. This will effectively clean the teeth and mucous membranes.
- Required to change the brush more often: every 3 months. During this time, every ten days it should definitely be left overnight in a special disinfectant. For example, in a solution of laundry soap or mouthwash.
- The brush should be specially shaped so that it does not bend, and its bristles penetrate between the teeth, effectively cleaning their surface and gums.
- During cleaning, it is necessary to clean the tongue from plaque. Many pathogenic microorganisms accumulate on its loose surface.
You should choose your toothpaste wisely. It is better to use the product recommended by the dentist. There are many pastas, and each has its own characteristics that should be considered when buying. Doctors often advise using fluoride-free pastes. Instead of ordinary refined sugar, natural analogues should be used. This will reduce the rate of reproduction of bacteria in the oral cavity.
You need to use special dental elixirs. They contain many useful herbs, they allow you to quickly clean the oral cavity frombacteria. Solutions eliminate unpleasant odors. But they cannot completely replace toothpaste and brush.
Gum burn is a serious injury that needs to be treated. It is also important to take preventive measures to protect against negative consequences. In the event of a burn, first aid is required and a doctor should be consulted. Only with proper treatment and following the doctor's instructions will it be possible to restore tissue in a short time.
