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This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 56 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status.
This article has been viewed 2,908,546 times.
Whether you bit into your pizza before it was cool or you sipped your coffee too soon, burning your tongue is no fun. Luckily, there are a number of ways to treat your burnt tongue yourself, from natural remedies to over-the-counter pain relievers. With the right soothing treatments, most minor tongue burns feel all better within a few days.
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Comments
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"I burned my tongue while eating pasta so it was hard to swallow and eat. After I saw this article I drank a glass of cold milk and I will put honey on my tongue when I find it :D Now I can eat better!"..." more -
"The inside of my mouth, tongue and throat were poisoned by calcium oxalate crystals, after biting, by mistake, what I thought was an edible variety of the taro root. I suffered for three days waiting for my pain and swelling to subside naturally, but there wasn't much relief. This article gave many options for the pain. I will add that a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with half a teaspoon of baking soda alkalizes acids in the mouth and stomach and helps aid healing. "..." more
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"This morning I was making myself a cup of tea, and stupidly I took a sip without blowing on it or playing my finger in it to make sure it wasn't hot. I immediately spit out the tea all over my kitchen table. I drank cold water right away, but that didn't seem to do the trick. When I got home from work, I looked up burn remedies for tongues and found this. I recommend using the sugar, relieved a lot of the discomfort. "..." more -
"Thank you so much. I burned my tongue, gums, and mouth on water that I thought was cold but had been boiled to clean my daughter's bottles. The breathing trick offered immediate relief so that I could think straight and assess the damage. I used honey to "clean" the burns and ice to soothe it. Then I mixed honey and aloe with some plain yogurt and that helped a lot too."..." more -
"I poured sugar over the burnt area on my tongue and let it sit, holding my mouth so that the saliva wouldn't wash it away. And after a few minutes, I swallowed the sugar, forgetting all about it until now, about 24 hours later. My tongue would normally still be irritated, but it's back to normal!"..." more
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"This article has helped me and my burning tongue situation. I had burnt my tongue while drinking soup, and it made my tongue feel itchy, rough, and dry. By trying some of the natural methods of clearing a burning tongue, I was able to sooth my burn in minutes."..." more
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"The thing that helped the most was probably the honey. Once it sat on my tongue, the pain just vanished like magic. An ice cube is a close second. By the next day, my tongue was almost fully healed. So, I appreciate the tips that you suggested. Thanks!"..." more
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"This helped a lot. I burned my tongue on hot chocolate today, and it felt like my tongue was going to peel off. I put sugar on and it helped so much. I don't really want to put an ice cube on, but if it gets worse I will. Thanks wikiHow!"..." more -
"I know in the past when I have had a tooth extracted, my dentist had me swish my mouth with salt water. I did that procedure when I burnt my tongue, and each day it helped lighten the soreness until completely healed."..." more
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"The natural remedy of putting the sugar on my tongue helped so much. I burnt my tongue with coffee this morning and when I put the sugar on it it helped instantly! These tips helped a whole lot. Thank you!"..." more
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"This article actually did help me, the yogurt thing helped quite a bit. It was certainly only temporary relief, but much more comfortable relief than most of the other remedies nonetheless."..." more
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"I burned my tongue badly. I ate curd and it helped a lot. I kept the curd on my tongue and on the burnt areas for like 5-10 seconds before gulping the curd. Great tip, thanks!"..." more
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"This article really helped me. Today I burnt my tongue on a scorching cappuccino so I tried the salt remedy. It was so quick that I forgot I even burnt my tongue."..." more
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"It was great being able to find an article that gave me the information that I was looking for, without all the extra. Thank you for the help!"..." more
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"My daughter burned her tongue and tried everything for the pain. The best remedy was vitamin e oil. She said it was like magic."..." more
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"The sugar and ice cube worked perfectly. I found that I had to do this for a while, but after a few hours my tongue was fine."..." more
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"I think all the soothing tips helped a lot for me. By the way, I love your website. Thanks for all the amazing tips!"..." more
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"The fact that most of these home remedies are with ingredients you can easily find in your pantry helped."
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"I burned my tongue trying to melt chocolate chips. It wasn't good. Ice and sugar helped me a lot."
Expert Q&A
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QuestionDoes this work if you burnt it on hot chocolate?
Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MSLuba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
Board-Certified Family Nurse PractitionerYes, the strategies above work if you burnt your mouth with hot chocolate. -
QuestionI've sucked on an ice cube five times, and I ate three spoonfuls of honey, but the pain still keeps coming back. What should I do?Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MSLuba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
Board-Certified Family Nurse PractitionerTry sucking in air to cool off your tongue, and do a cool salt water rinse.
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Tips from our Readers 
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- "You need to keep your mouth extra clean while you have a burnt tongue. Brush your teeth and use antiseptic mouthwash regularly to prevent bacteria from getting into the wound."
- "Stay away from citrus like orange and pineapple while your tongue is burnt. This includes orange juice! If you eat any citrus, it'll sting. "
- "Try freezing milk into ice cubes and then sucking on a milk cube. The iced milk will sooth and cool the tongue."
- "If you use an ice cube, be sure to get it wet first. Otherwise it can stick to your tongue. "
- "You can also eat a spoonful of peanut butter. It really helps! "
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References
- ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/burnt-tongue-remedy/
- ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/burnt-tongue-remedy/
- ↑ https://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/01/20/what-to-do-when-you-burn-your-tongue/
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/4-ways-to-soothe-a-burnt-tongue-and-mouth/
- ↑ https://www.insider.com/burnt-tongue
- ↑ https://www.insider.com/burnt-tongue
- ↑ https://www.mottchildren.org/health-library/sig258564
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/4-ways-to-soothe-a-burnt-tongue-and-mouth/
- ↑ https://www.lls.org/sites/default/files/National/USA/Pdf/PearlPoint/PearlPoint_Nutrition_Tips_for_Managing_Sore_Mouth__Throat__and_Tongue.pdf
- ↑ https://www.insider.com/burnt-tongue
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/4-ways-to-soothe-a-burnt-tongue-and-mouth/
- ↑ https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/sore-or-painful-tongue
- ↑ https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/health/burned-your-mouth-heres-how-find-relief
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/4-ways-to-soothe-a-burnt-tongue-and-mouth//
- ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/burnt-tongue-remedy/
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/burning-mouth-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20350911
About This Article
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006. This article has been viewed 2,908,546 times.
Co-authors: 131
Updated: September 5, 2024
Views: 2,908,546
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
Article SummaryX
As soon as you burn your tongue, counteract the heat by sucking on an ice cube or drinking something cold. You can also breathe through your mouth to allow cool air to soothe your tongue. If your tongue still hurts, try eating Greek yogurt to help cool the burn. You can also try rinsing your mouth out with saltwater to help speed your recovery. While your tongue is healing, avoid acidic and salty foods, as they may cause additional irritation. Keep reading to learn how to use pain relievers to help a burnt tongue!
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