Mouth pain is not fun. It makes it difficult to eat, drink, sleep, talk, and be the least bit cheerful. Many things can cause your mouth to be sore, from food ingredients to alcohol to a variety of health problems to medications and therapies such as radiation and chemo. Here’s a list of things to consider as underlying causes if you or one of your patients has debilitating mouth pain:
Xerostomia
Salivary gland dysfunction
Fungal infections
Nutritional deficiencies
Ill-fitting dentures
Allergies or reactions to foods and food additives
Acid reflux
Medications, especially for high blood pressure
Oral habits
Endocrine disorders
Excessive irritation from oral products
Too many acidic drinks
Certain psychological factors
Burning mouth syndrome
Try an over-the-counter remedy first, like GUM Rincinol P.R.N. from Sunstar. Aloe vera-based GUM Rincinol P.R.N. creates a thin, bioadhesive barrier in the oral cavity, soothing the mucosal tissues, tongue, and irritated nerve-endings. It is fast-acting and protects the oral tissues from irritants including food, liquids, braces, and dentures. GUM Rincinol P.R.N also helps promote healing for patients suffering from aphthous ulcers, injuries or irritations from orthodontic appliances and removable dentures, and minor burns, cuts, and abrasions (like I often get from toasted BLTs and hot pizza).
GUM Rincinol P.R.N. does not contain benzocaine, which numbs the mouth, or any alcohol, which can really burn when applied, yet patients can expect pain relief to last as long as 6 hours.
For more information on burning mouth syndrome click here.