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Oral mucosal injuries

Despite the fact that the oral mucosa performs protective functions, it is not very resistant to the effects of various mechanical, physical and chemical irritants that exceed its endurance threshold. Oral mucosal injuries are a common occurrence, and it is necessary to pay attention to them in order to have an idea of how such injuries occur and how to prevent their occurrence.

Traumas of the oral mucosa are quite varied. They can be the result of mechanical damage, such as biting the mucosa with teeth, pinching the mucosa with hard pieces of food, puncturing the mucosa with fish or chicken bones, cuts or punctures with fragments of larger bones, wounding the mucosa with sharp edges of a filling, exposed edges of a crown, the edge of a removable denture or retaining elements of this denture (clasps, retainers). Mechanical traumas can be the result of malocclusion or an improperly fitted denture.

Chemical injuries to the mucous membrane occur from improperly consumed drinks (with a high alcohol content), from burns from substances (for example, citric acid, iodine), from accidental entry of chemicals into the oral cavity in the form of liquid, steam or powder.

Physical injuries to the mucous membrane are in most cases associated with thermal burns from excessively hot food or drinks. The mucous membrane of the oral cavity can be burned by steam, for example, during inhalation.

Trauma to the oral mucosa may appear as redness, abrasion, cut, blister (if the burn was severe), may be covered with plaque (after some time) or crust. Sometimes the trauma may not be visible to the eye, but may only be revealed by a painful symptom.

The oral mucosa has a very high level of regenerative abilities, which are also due to the immune system, which is actively working in the tissues of the oral cavity. It is these abilities that allow stimulating the healing of mucosal injuries at high speed and in short periods of time. But not all types of oral mucosal injuries heal without special problems and medications.

As a rule, it is not single mechanical, chemical or thermal injuries that are dangerous, but chronic injuries that do not heal for a long time, since the mucous membrane does not have the opportunity and time to regenerate. Chronic injuries to the oral mucosa often become the starting point for very serious diseases of the oral mucosa, such as erosions, ulcers, abscesses, increased pathological keratinization, necrosis and even malignant tumors.

To prevent injuries to the oral mucosa, you need to be careful when eating, try to avoid hard food, hot dishes and drinks, and follow safety rules when working with chemicals (use masks and respirators, protective screens). It should be remembered that the path to diseases of the oral mucosa is often associated with careless human behavior. A simple injury to the oral mucosa can lead to the development of diseases with a long-term course. If the injury to the oral mucosa does not heal on its own within one or two weeks, then this should serve as a reason to contact a periodontist for professional help.