How does putting toothpaste on a burn help it heal?

Question

I burned my hand today and my mom put toothpaste on it. How does that work?

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Accepted Answer

To jbrizzle: bases cancel out acids. So if you burn yourself with an acid a base will cancel it. But if it’s a heat burn, not a chemical burn, you don’t want a base; strong bases can cause burns just like strong acids can. In the case of a heat burn, what you want is room temperature to cool water running over the area and drawing the heat away.To the questioner: toothpaste does NOT help a burn heal. Toothpaste contains menthol, which dries out the skin and can lead to dry, cracked skin especially when you put it on burned skin which is inherently fragile. Furthermore, toothpase can actually CAUSE irritation and even minor burns if left on the skin.Any burns should be run under cool or room temperature water for at least 10 minutes. No ice (can cause frostbite), no butter or other greasey substances (can trap the heat and make the burn worse), no toothpaste. Just water and then later something designed specifically for burns such as silver sulfadiazine.

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Answer

Toothpaste On Burns

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Answer

Im guessing because toothpaste is like soap, its a base. Bases can soothe burning sensations. Quite like using milk to cancel out spicy food.

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Answer

toothpaste very very useful in burn

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Answer

If you want to cure plantar fasciitis completely in one month check out this site: http://treatmyplantarfasciitis.uk.to-/ I did it, it works! Pain was gone in only a few days. Good luck!

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Answer

it is a basic nature and it soothes the burn

Mr. Keeley Hilpert · Answer

It just soothes the burning sensation.

Dr. Juanita Wolff

How does putting toothpaste on a burn help it heal?

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