One sip of coffee fresh from the pot or a taste of soup straight from the slow cooker can burn your mouth instantly. And unfortunately, kids aren’t known for taking dainty bites or sips.
If your child gets their hands on a hot food or beverage and indulges immediately, they could be hurt.
Luckily, most of these injuries aren’t serious. But, for a child who hasn’t experienced a minor burned mouth before or doesn’t understand what’s going on, it can feel very serious.
Prevent a more serious burn and additional discomfort for your child by acting quickly. Follow these 6 steps to sooth your child’s burned tongue or mouth!
The most common burn injury in kids that are 6 months to years old is a scald from hot foods or drinks. Since it’s such a regular incident, there are plenty of home remedies and treatments available to sooth your child’s burned tongue or mouth.
See our recommended steps below.
1. First, get the hot food or liquid out of their mouth and wiped off their face immediately to prevent serious injuries.
2. Give your child something cold to suck on to alleviate the pain, like ice or a Popsicle.
3. Evaluate the severity of the burn and determine if your child needs medical attention. If medical treatment is required, take them to the emergency room as quickly as possible. If not, continue with these steps.
4. Have him or her drink something that will coat their mouth and grant another layer of relief, like milk.
5. Clearly explain to them what happened, why it happened and how they can prevent it from happening in the future.
6. Finally, let the healing happen. Over the counter anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers can be given to them with discretion.
Then, monitor your child’s food and drink intake for a week or so after the burn occurs. Steer them away from hard, crunchy food or hot foods and drinks, as they can irritate or scrape the already sensitive skin and cause more pain.
If a mouth burn happens before one of your child’s biannual checkups, inform their dentist. The dentist can then take special care around that area of your child’s mouth.
