A burn to the roof of your mouth from hot food or a drink usually heals on its own: cool it straight away, keep food soft and cool for a few days, and expect a minor burn to settle within about one to two weeks, but have it checked by a dentist or doctor if it has not healed after two weeks. StatPearls describes thermal injuries of the mouth as generally self-limiting once the area is protected from further heat and trauma. healthdirect advises seeing a doctor for any mouth ulcer lasting longer than two weeks.
Written by Dr James Tran, BDent (University of Sydney), MICOI, GradDip (Oral Implants), general dentist at Lumi Dental in Melrose Park.
The short version
- Cool the burn straight away by holding or sipping cool water, then keep to soft, cool food for a few days.
- Redness, then peeling or a raw, whitish patch, is the usual pattern as the lining sheds and regrows.
- A small superficial burn often settles within a few days; a deeper one takes longer.
- Call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department for any trouble breathing or swallowing after a burn. For a chemical in the mouth, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.
- A sore that has not healed after two weeks needs a check. Our guide to when to worry about a mouth ulcer explains why.
Why the roof of the mouth burns so easily
The front of the hard palate is often the first surface hot food touches. A clinical review of oral burning notes that underestimating the temperature of food or drink often injures the palate or tongue, because they make first contact.
Melted cheese is a common culprit. A case report of a palatal burn from a microwaved cheese pie points out that food with a liquid or soft centre, such as cheese, can be hotter inside than outside, so the crust feels safe while the filling is not. The authors note that pizzas heated in a microwave are a usual cause of palatal burns. Hot drinks, especially a first sip of tea or coffee, are the other common cause.
What a palate burn looks like as it heals
StatPearls explains that heat damages the surface layer, which then sloughs off and exposes the red tissue underneath. That is why a burn often looks worse on day two than in the first hour.
The first day
The area is red and tender, and a small blister may form.
Days two to four
The damaged layer peels or comes away in shreds, leaving a raw, red patch or a shallow sore with a whitish or grey surface. At this stage it can look much like an ordinary mouth ulcer.
After that
The patch shrinks and the tenderness fades. A review of oral burning describes a superficial burn, with redness and tenderness, as tending to heal within a few days, while a deeper burn may take somewhat longer. Most patients I see with a pizza or coffee burn are comfortable again within a week or so.
First aid in the first few minutes
For skin burns, the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne advises cool running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible. You cannot run a tap over your palate, but the principle holds: cool it quickly.
- Spit out the hot food if you safely can.
- Take a mouthful of cool water, hold it over the burn for a few seconds, then swallow or spit and repeat for several minutes.
- Do not press ice against the burn. Burn first aid advice warns against putting ice on fresh burns; letting a small ice chip melt in the mouth is gentler.
- Do not put creams, home remedies or crushed tablets on the area. StatPearls notes that aspirin held against the lining of the mouth causes a chemical burn of its own.
For pain, an over-the-counter pain reliever used as directed on the label, or as advised by a pharmacist, is usually enough.
Looking after it over the next few days
Healing is mostly a matter of not injuring the same spot again. healthdirect's advice for mouth ulcers suits a healing burn: eat soft foods, avoid hot foods, hot drinks and spicy foods, use a soft toothbrush, and avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol.
- Choose cool or lukewarm soft food such as yoghurt, eggs, soft pasta or bananas.
- Avoid hot drinks, chilli, citrus, vinegar, alcohol and crunchy food such as toast crusts and corn chips.
- healthdirect suggests salt-water rinses for mouth ulcers (a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water, held over the area and spat out). Once the surface has peeled, this may make a healing burn feel cleaner.
The single rule: cool it, keep it soft, and check it at two weeks
If you burn your palate, cool it straight away, keep to soft, cool food until it feels normal, and book a check if it has not healed after two weeks. StatPearls recommends referral for further assessment when a mouth lesion persists beyond two weeks or its cause is unclear.
| What you notice | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Red, tender patch behind the front teeth after hot food | A superficial burn | Cool water, soft cool food, pain relief as directed |
| Blister, peeling skin or a white or grey patch on day two or three | The damaged surface shedding as it heals | Leave it alone; avoid hot, spicy, acidic and crunchy food |
| Pain easing and the patch shrinking over a week | Normal healing | Return to normal food gradually |
| Spreading redness, swelling, pus or fever | Possible infection | See a dentist or doctor promptly |
| A sore still present after two weeks | May not be the burn, or healing is slow | Book an examination with a dentist or doctor |
| Trouble breathing or swallowing, or burns from steam | Possible injury to the throat or airway | Call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department |
When a mouth burn needs urgent help
- Breathing or swallowing: healthdirect advises calling an ambulance or going to the nearest emergency department if a burn affects the throat or airway and makes breathing harder. Hoarseness, drooling or pain on swallowing after steam or a very hot drink needs the same urgency.
- Chemicals: healthdirect lists burns around and inside the mouth or tongue, and burning pain from the mouth to the stomach, among the more serious signs after swallowing a substance. Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, or 000 if the person has collapsed or is struggling to breathe.
- Electrical burns: the Royal Children's Hospital lists electrical burns, including mouth burns from chewing power cords, as a reason to go to hospital.
- Infection: the Royal Children's Hospital lists increasing pain, pus or a fever of 38 °C or more as signs that a burn needs a doctor.
Babies, young children and hot drinks
The Royal Children's Hospital describes burns and scalds as a leading cause of injury in young children, often from pulling hot food and drinks off tables. A child who has sipped or spilt a hot drink may have burns on the lips, chin and chest as well as inside the mouth.
The hospital's advice is to cool skin burns under cool running water for 20 minutes, to go to hospital for a burn on the face, a deep burn, or a child too distressed to keep the burn under water, and to call 000 if a burn involves the throat or airway and the child is struggling to breathe. A child who is drooling, refusing to swallow or breathing noisily after a hot drink needs urgent care, not a dental appointment.
Is it a burn, or something else?
Hot food followed by a sore patch usually settles the question, but other causes can look similar.
- Mouth ulcers appear without a burn, often in crops, and may come back. Our article on mouth ulcer causes and treatment covers them.
- Cold sores and herpes infections can start inside the mouth as small blisters, often with tingling first. Our article on cold sores and mouth ulcers explains the difference.
- Burning mouth syndrome causes a burning feeling with no visible sore. It lasts months, not days, and is covered in our burning mouth syndrome guide.
How we approach this at Lumi Dental
At Lumi Dental in Melrose Park, a dentist can examine a sore palate, ask how it started and look for other causes such as a rubbing denture or a sharp tooth. If a sore does not fit a simple burn or has lasted beyond two weeks, the dentist explains the next step, which may include referral. Emergency appointments are available during opening hours; read about emergency dental care at Lumi Dental, and check current hours on the contact page.
Questions patients ask
How long does a burnt roof of the mouth take to heal?
A small, superficial burn often settles within a few days, and most food burns within a week or two. If a sore is still there after two weeks, have it checked.
Why is there white skin on the roof of my mouth after a burn?
The burnt surface layer peels away over a day or two and can look white, grey or shredded while new lining forms underneath. Leave it alone.
Should I pop a blister on the roof of my mouth?
No. Piercing it adds another wound to a sore area. Leave it and keep to soft, cool food.
Should I see a doctor or a dentist for a mouth burn?
Either can check a burn that is not healing. For breathing or swallowing trouble, or a chemical or electrical burn, go to hospital. Our article on whether to see a doctor or a dentist covers other mouth problems.
Can a burn on the roof of the mouth get infected?
It can, though it is uncommon. Increasing pain, swelling, pus or a fever are reasons to be seen promptly. Our article on first aid for a bitten tongue, lip or cheek covers similar rules.
Mouth not healing as expected? See a dentist in Melrose Park
If a burn on the roof of your mouth is not settling, or you are not sure it was a burn, the team at Lumi Dental in Melrose Park can take a look. Book through the emergency dentist page, and see current offers. If there is any trouble breathing or swallowing, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department first. Patients visit from Ryde, Parramatta, Ermington and Rydalmere, with on-site parking at Melrose Central.
Sources
- StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf): Physical and Chemical Lesions of the Oral Mucosa
- healthdirect: Mouth sores and ulcers (canker sores)
- The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne: Burns and scalds, prevention and first aid
- healthdirect: Swallowed substances
About the author
Dr James Tran is a general dentist at Lumi Dental in Melrose Park. He holds a BDent from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Oral Implants, and is a Member of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (MICOI).
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for an examination and individual advice from a registered dental practitioner. Suitability for any treatment varies from person to person.
