Now, dissolvable oral strip to soothe mouth burns

Washington: Those scalded by a sip of piping hot tea, coffee or soup can now take heart, thanks to a dissolvable oral strip that instantly eases your pain.

Jason McConville and colleagues from University of Texas at Austin, designed the strip for controlled delivery of a local anaesthetic, benzocaine, and a therapeutic polymer.

Benzocaine, commonly used as a topical pain reliever in dental products and throat lozenges, was chosen for its non-irritating properties.

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 won’t interfere with normal day-to-day activities, as it quickly dissolves for instant pain relief and promotes healing, according to a Texas statement.

“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,” saidMcConville. “The strips look and behave similar to breath freshening strips that you might find at your local drugstore.”

Now based at the University of New Mexico, McConville, and his team, will explore creating a stronger oral strip to treat more severe burns lasting longer than two to three days. The next step in furthering their research will be to test the strips in humans and experiment with taste-masking.

This research is being presented at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world’s largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in Chicago, Illinois from 14 October to 18 October.

IANS