It’s not the biggest health calamity in the world — burning your tongue or the roof of your mouth with piping-hot coffee or a slice of pizza right out of the oven. But Texas researchers have come up with a new dissolvable oral strip that provides instant relief for such burns.
The new product, unveiled at a meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in Chicago this week, delivers a controlled dose of the local anesthetic, benzocaine, and a therapeutic polymer.
Lead researcher Jason McConville, and colleagues from University of Texas at Austin who designed the strip, said benzocaine was chosen because it is commonly used as a topical pain reliever in dental products and throat lozenges.
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The strip is applied directly to the burned part of the tongue, cheek, or roof of the mouth. It sticks to the affected area and quickly dissolves for pain relief and promotes healing.
"We found these strips to be non-toxic, which has huge potential for anyone who burns their mouth while eating and drinking hot foods — and that's just about everyone," said McConville. "The strips look and behave similar to breath freshening strips that you might find at your local drugstore."
McConville and his team are now looking to create a stronger oral strip to treat more severe burns lasting longer than a few days.