A burn is a common and dangerous injury. Often the oral cavity, as a rule, the gum is also affected. This happens for various reasons, but in any case, it is necessary to treat the damaged area. The gum burn and treatment methods are described in the article.
Causes
A 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. Usually it arises from:
- self-elimination of toothache with alcohol or analgin;
- rinsing the mouth with strong solutions;
- taking medications and alkaline drugs;
- swallowed household chemicals.
A common cause of getting a burn is taking medication. The consequence occurs when mucous membranes come in contact with aggressive agents used in dental practice:
- phenol;
- silver nitrate;
- formalin;
- arsenic paste;
- resorcinol-formalin mixture;
Kinds
A gum burn can be chemical and thermal. It all depends on the root cause:
- A thermal burn occurs due to the influence of temperatures (high and low), as well as electric current and radiation.
- A chemical burn is a consequence of the negative effects of chemicals and reagents.
After dental treatment, there may be a chemical gum burn with arsenic or alcohol. Arsenic in dentistry is used to anesthetize with prolonged exposure. This can lead not only to a burn, but also to the destruction of the tooth, bone tissue of the jaw. This symptom appears when treating the oral cavity with alcohol solutions, if there is a high sensitivity of 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 for the selection of therapy.
From arsenic
This burn occurs from poor-quality tooth filling. Arsenic embedded in a tooth penetrates through holes and injures nearby tissue. A burn can lead to the death of tissues, it is complicated by the destruction of bone cells.
Symptoms
If you look at the photo, a gum burn can be identified by redness. Symptoms of the thermal appearance include the appearance of:
- sharp pain;
- rough mucous surface;
- vesicles on the defense of the gums;
- ulcerative neoplasms.
Chemical gum burn manifests itself in the form of:
- swelling and redness;
- tissue necrosis with deep damage.
A burn can occur in any person, but those at risk are those who, due to work and life, come into contact with medications and radiation, increased electric current. In addition, any visitor to the dental office may appear injured.
Degrees
Doctors distinguish 3 degrees of severity of a gum burn course:
- There is a slightly pronounced redness of the gums and mucous membranes, swelling in the affected area and pain when touched.
- Swelling becomes pronounced, bubbles appear on the gum, containing exudate inside. The mucous membrane acquires a bright red color, there is a constant pain.
- In addition to these symptoms, the affected gum is infected, and the pathological process of the death of affected tissues begins. If certain measures are not taken, with a chemical burn, the gums die. There is severe irritation, and the mucous membrane turns red.
Negative effects
In a running state:
- necrosis develops;
- tissue dies;
- the jaw collapses;
- the front part is deformed.
Diagnostics
If a gum burn occurs, what to do, how to provide first aid? To do this:
- Eliminate 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 a gum burn occurs, then you need to go to the doctor for an examination. With severe burning 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 information collected, and then prescribes treatment.
How to treat
Treatment of a gum burn can be medication and surgical. If a slight degree of damage to the gum tissue is detected, the dentist prescribes a mouth rinse with hydrogen peroxide, a solution of potassium permanganate or furatsilina. When using each tool has its own characteristics:
- Hydrogen peroxide. The drug is contraindicated in case of strong sensitivity and allergies to it. A side effect from 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 of 11 parts of water.
- Furatsilin. To prepare the solution, 1 tablet per 100 ml of water is required. It is necessary to consider the presence of an allergy to the drug.
- Potassium permanganate. Rinse the oral cavity should not be with individual intolerance to the product. In order to prevent negative consequences, it is necessary to properly prepare the rinse. Its strength should not be higher than 0.1%.
- Ointments. A gum burn after tooth extraction or for other reasons is treated with Metrogil or Solcoseryl. Ointments accelerate the restoration and healing of damaged tissues.
Surgical treatment is relevant for extensive damage and a predisposition to tissue necrosis. In this situation, removal of the affected tissue is required to prevent the spread of the destructive process and sepsis.
With the adoption of operational first aid measures and the appointment of an appropriate course of therapy, the prognosis for a burn is positive. Therefore, it is important to contact a specialist in a timely manner.
ethnoscience
How to treat gum burn from folk remedies? To rinse the oral cavity, decoctions and infusions of chamomile, sage, and violet are used. They must be prepared according to the instructions indicated on the package. It should also be borne in mind that you can not rinse your mouth with soda, since it irritates the affected tissue, 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, very hot food should be excluded from the diet, and when taking medications, minimize their contact with the gums.
Healing duration
The healing period depends on many factors. It is affected by the stage, form, state of health. Exact dates can only be predicted by a doctor. Usually, the gums heal within two weeks with proper and timely treatment.
Gum care
After treating a gum burn, proper oral care is necessary to prevent this process from happening again. If you follow the basic recommendations, you can avoid many problems:
- About five minutes should be spent on oral hygiene, and brushing should be done 2-3 times a day.
- Gum disease usually begins at the base of the tooth, where plaque builds up due to improper care. For this reason, these areas should be cleaned thoroughly by performing rotational movements with a brush. It will turn out to effectively clean the teeth and mucous membranes.
- It is required to change the brush more often: every 3 months. During this time, once every ten days, it is definitely worth leaving it overnight in a special disinfectant. For example, in a solution of laundry soap or rinse for teeth.
- The brush must be selected in a special shape so that it does not bend, and its bristles penetrate between the teeth, effectively cleaning their surface and gums.
- During cleaning, the tongue must be cleaned of plaque. Many pathogenic microorganisms accumulate on its loose surface.
You should correctly select toothpaste. It is better to use the product that the dentist recommended. There is a lot of pasta, and each has its own characteristics that should be considered when buying. Doctors often advise using fluoride-free pastes. Instead of regular refined sugar, natural analogs must be used. So it turns out to reduce the rate of bacterial reproduction in the oral cavity.
It is necessary to use special dental elixirs. They have many useful herbs, they allow you to quickly clean the oral cavity of bacteria. Solutions eliminate odors. But they cannot completely replace toothpaste and brush.
A gum burn is a serious injury that needs to be treated. It is also important to follow preventative measures to protect against negative consequences. If a burn occurs, first aid is required and consult a doctor. Only with proper treatment and compliance with the doctor’s prescriptions will it be possible to restore tissue in a short time.