Burns of oral mucosa – A review

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this review is to understand burns of oral mucosae as a type of injury, the different etiologies, clinical features and management of these oral burns in clinical practice. This review aims to aid dentists to evaluate and assess patients sustaining burn injuries in a better way and to understand the varied treatment protocols for particular types of burns in order to help patients restore their oral health. Materials and Methods: Articles from PubMed and Google Scholar (from1991 to 2019) were reviewed. All articles relevant to the topic, case reports and literature reviews were included in this review. No articles were excluded. Results: All included articles suggested that burns are a type of tissue injury that can produce localized or diffuse areas of tissue damage depending on the severity and extent of the insult. Burns of the oral mucosa may be caused by thermal, mechanical, chemical, electrical or radiation injury. Thermal burns are usually caused due to ingestion of high temperature foods or drinks. Similarly, chemical burns occur due to exposure of oral mucosa to acids or alkalis or certain drugs. Electrical burns are less common, however, they are mostly noted in children due to biting onto electrical cables or wires etc. Clinical features of all types of burns range from whitish red erythema to necrotic patches. The sites of burns usually vary based on their etiology. Conclusion: Although, there are some contemporary guidelines, there exists no specific standard of care with regards to management of different kinds of burns. This article aims to form a general review of burns of the oral mucosa and its treatment guidelines.