Close-Up of PizzaDo you enjoy eating fresh, hot pizza? If so, you may have experienced a common mouth injury—”pizza burn.”

Dentists use this term for a minor burn of the gums and the roof of the mouth (palate). The most frequent cause is biting into hot food such as pizza. The telltale sign of a pizza burn is a blister or ulcer on the small, raised area of gum behind the front teeth (incisive papilla) or near the upper first molar.

This injury is not usually serious, but it will be mildly uncomfortable, especially during eating, for several days. Avoid biting into coarse or hot foods, and brush and floss carefully. If the area is very painful, a topical anesthetic should make it feel a lot better.

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