Key points to know

There’s no cure for burning mouth syndrome but some home remedies may help ease the pain.
Not everything works for everyone.
Speak with your doctor if you try over-the-counter products, natural products, or supplements to make sure that they don’t interact badly with medications you might be taking for other conditions.

Home Remedies for Burning Mouth Syndrome

Here are some of the more common home treatments that people have tried, some with success. Please note – if you try any type of over-the-counter treatment, supplement, or natural product, make sure that all your healthcare professionals know that you are taking them when you go for treatment, including dental work. Some drugs or products can interact with medications or cause side effects that can mimic a health condition.

Saliva replacement products

If your mouth is too dry, using a saliva replacement product might give you some relief from the burning, while hydrating your mouth.

Cold drinks and ice chips

If you can tolerate the cold, ice may help numb the burning. Not everyone with BMS can handle having ice in their mouth though.

Chewing gum

Chewing sugarless gum could provide some relief from the pain and help increase saliva if your mouth is dry.

Change your toothpaste

While there are no special toothpastes for burning mouth syndrome, avoiding those with mint and other possible irritants may help. Some people find the toothpaste for sensitive teeth helps them. Biotene toothpaste is often mentioned in BMS groups. An added benefit is Biotene products are meant to help people with dry mouth.

Stop using or change your mouthwash

Mouthwash can make things worse for some people with BMS, especially if it has alcohol in it. If you feel you need to use mouthwash, avoid any with alcohol and try to avoid mint flavored products. Biotene also makes a mouthwash.

Rinse your mouth with a diluted capsaicin liquid

Capsaicin, the ingredient in hot chili peppers that cause the burning sensation, has long been used to manage neuropathic pain. You could try putting a 5 to 6 drops of Tabasco sauce in 1 teaspoon of water and rinse your mouth 4 times a day. Be sure to spit it out! You will feel a burning from the rinse at first, but if it works for you, the burning sensation will quickly calm down.

Other home remedies for burning mouth syndrome

Here are some other things that people have tried. I linked to related studies when I could.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that is used to treat any number of diseases or conditions. Some people use just acupuncture, while others use it along with other types of treatment for maximum benefit. One study, published in the British Dental Journal in 2010 found that acupuncture did help some patients who remained pain-free 18 months after their treatments.

Bee bread

According to the Amateur Entomologists’ Society, “Bee bread is a mixture of pollen and nectar or honey. This substance is the main source of food for honey bee workers and larvae. The exact composition of the bee bread varies depending on the plants that the bees forage from. This not only changes at different locations but also with the seasons and even at different times of the day.”

In one group, I read of several people trying bee bread to ease the BMS pain. I did find a study from 2019 where researchers looked at studies where bee products were used to prevent and manage oral mucositis, sores in the mouth, caused by cancer therapy. The researchers found that the products did prevent mucositis in some patients, and it helped treat it in others. Be careful though if you have a bee allergy. Bee products may cause anaphylaxis.

Baking soda

Some people make a paste of water and baking soda and apply it to their mouth for relief.

Salt water rinses

The Mayo Clinic provides this “recipe” for salt water rinses: “Dissolve about 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) of salt in 1 cup (237 milliliters) of warm water. Swish the rinse and then spit it out, but don’t swallow.”

Hydrogen peroxide rinses

There are over-the-counter rinses with hydrogen peroxide, such as Orajel Antiseptic Mouth Sore Rinse and Peroxyl

Oil pulling

Oil pulling is an old practice that is gaining popularity as some people believe it can improve oral health. You can read about it here. This study shows that doing oil pulling with sesame oil does help some people with BMS.

Benzocaine spray (HurriCaine 20% mucosal spray)

This is a topical spray you apply to your tongue that gives some people relief.

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA)

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant. This is frequently recommended in BMS support groups and by some physicians. Unfortunately, researchers aren’t convinced that is helpful though.

WARNING

Please be very cautious about trying something new or things that people say “absolutely work.” People are trying to be helpful when they share what works for them, but sometimes their suggestions could be dangerous. Here’s an example.

There is a solution called magic mouthwash that helps some people with BMS. It contains the prescription drug, lidocaine, as well as possibly others, like antibiotics. It depends on what the doctor, dentist, or nurse practitioner has ordered. Because this combined solution is expensive so people look for alternatives. In one group, someone gave a recipe for a magic mouthwash that she made up herself, including the lidocaine. And then she says that she uses it more than recommended. That’s dangerous. There’s a reason why there are limits to how much of a certain medication – either prescription or over-the-counter – we can take or use.

Overdosing on viscous lidocaine (the liquid form of lidocaine) can cause changes in your vision and/or hearing, severe dizziness, drowsiness, fainting, seizures, a decrease in your heart rate, and slow, shallow breathing.

Use your common sense. If it seems too good to be true, it very likely is.