Bonjela Cool Mint Gel

Children are notorious for sticking things that they shouldn't into their mouths whether it is pens, pencils, fingers, paint brushes pretty much everything really. They are also equally guilty of eating things too quickly which often results in them either biting their tongues or the sides of their cheeks. I have lost count of the number of times I have hugged a tearful six year old complaining that he has a sore bit inside his mouth which generally turns out to be a painful ulcer. I have tried several lotions and potions over the last year or so and have found the best by far to be a relatively new product from Bonjela called Cool Gel and I now always have a tube handy in my medicine cabinet just in case.

The product itself was purchased from my local chemist which I thought was quite an expensive buy at a whopping £2.55 for a 15mg tube!!! You can't put a price on relieving a child's discomfort though. It comes packaged in a distinctive blue box which states that the product is New Bonjela Cool Gel which contains the active ingredients Choline Salicylate (a local analgesic) and Cetalkonium Chloride (an antiseptic). The inner tube is made of blue plastic and comes with a handy screw top.

The gel itself is clear and it can be applied to the inside of the mouth or gums to reduce inflammation and fight infection in mouth ulcers, brace sores, denture sores, teething pain and to my surprise cold sores. It tastes of mint and is also sugar free. Before applying the gel it is important to read the patient information leaflet supplied with the product as it is not suitable for use by everyone. The manufacturer recommends that potential users should read the ingredients to ensure that they are not allergic to any of the active products contained within the gel. Although they state that side-effects are rare use of the product may cause headache, stomach upset and diarrhoea. It furthermore should be avoided if people suffer from stomach ulcer or suffer blood clots or gout. It should not be used in children under 4 months old.

Using the product is simple. In adults massage about one centimetre of bonjela onto the sore area. This can be repeated after 3 hours.

For denture sores massage one centimetre onto the sore area and leave for at least 30 minutes before reinserting the dentures. The Cool Gel should not be applied directly onto the dentures.

In children massage one half of a centimetre of the gel onto affected area. This can be repeated after 3 hours. However no more than six doses are to be given in a 24 hour period. It is vital that the recommended dose is not exceeded. If symptoms persist after using the product for seven days then you should consult your GP.

I have used this product on my son on several occasions and once on myself and I have to say I was extremely impressed with it. There was no nipping when it was initially applied and it relieved the irritating feeling caused by the mouth ulcer immediately. It seemed to offer a protective barrier and eating and drinking was no problem. I also felt that after applying the product every three hours for the first couple of days I seemed to forget that I actually had an ulcer. The only downside of using this is that it doesn't taste as nice as the original version of the product although it's not unpleasant. It really works with the mouth ulcer disappearing after a couple of days. Unfortunately I can't comment on denture discomfort, teething in babies or on cold sores perhaps that is something another member may like to review!!!. Overall 4 stars.

Also on Dooyoo as Ickleannie