From time to time I tend to get tiny little ulcer type sores on the side of my tongue. Generally a little rinse with a good mouthwash and or a rinse with some salted water and the problem is resolved. However there are the odd occasions where this tried and trusted method has failed and I usually just live with the ulcers and they go away naturally. Again there are times where even this fails and I either have to retry the first method or cough up £2.30 odd for another yet tried and trusted method.

As with most medicines there are several alternatives available for my uncomfortable predicament and in all fairness they probably all do a fair job, but the one I have come to trust most is one which most of will have used at some time on another. I am of course talking about Bonjela which has no been used for over forty years in the treatment of mouth ulcers for over 40 years so I was slightly shocked when visited the website whilst researching some info for this review. I found the following information posted on its homepage.

Important New Advice on the use of topical choline salicylates
in children under 16
23rd April 2009
There is new advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that topical products containing choline salicylate - the main active ingredient in Bonjela and Bonjela cool mint gel - should no longer be used by children under the age of 16.
This advice is purely precautionary because of a theoretical risk. There are no new safety concerns.
Bonjela and Bonjela cool mint gel continue to be suitable and effective treatments for mouth ulcers in adults and adolescents 16 years or over. Parents whose children have previously used the products can be assured that there is very little risk of adverse reaction.

The two main active ingredients of Bonjela are , choline salicylate and cetalkonium chloride. Since I looked at the website I thought I’d check up on both of these ingredients as to the risks indicated in the statement. Choline salicylate apparently belongs to a group of Non Sterodial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and is similar to but NOT the same as aspirin and works by blocking the action of a body fluid called cyclo-oxygenase. This substance is used by the body to help produce Prostoglandins. Prostoglandins cause inflammation in an area of the body, which has been damaged. So when we perhaps nick the side of our tongue with something sharp we have eaten these Prostoglandins cause increased blood flow to the damages tissue to enable quicker repair and this increased blood flow cause selling. Therefore when choline salicylate blocks the cyclo-oxygenase it prevents the production of prostoglandins and hence the swelling is reduced. The other active ingredient Cetalkonium chloride is an antiseptic used to kill bacteria and fungi, which may infest a broken mouth, wound. The best information I could find on these active ingredients is that they have been shown to cause problems in under 16’s this is very rare so I can now see why the message has been posted. Very similar problems were encountered by over 60’s to a slightly greater degree. All the medical jargon was now way beyond my comprehension but I certainly got the impression that’s these instances are not common but do happen. I would suggest however that if you do have any concerns you take proper medical advice as you should with any medicine you are unsure of or uncertain of.

Having established now that Bonjela is safe, and basically how it is designed to work, does it actually work in practise. The gel itself is clear and is to be applied directly to the ulcer and surrounding area, being that one’s gob generally has a fair smidgin of saliva this can prove a bit difficult. For this reason mine is applied in front of a mirror so I can see exactly where it is being applied. The effect is almost instant as the cool gel hits the inflamed area. The instant coolness itself is a great relief, but once the active ingredients take effect you can actually feel the improvement in you oral situation. There is a kind of numbness that is associated with the healing process, a kind of really mild feeling that the dentist has been at work with that dreaded jab of his. After a few minutes this wares of and you can certainly feel the benefits of the Bonjela kicking in. One other benefit whilst all this medical stuff is going on is that thee is a very nice mint taste, well I say mint but it is kind of distant there but not there if you know what I mean, you are more concentrating on the numb feeling than the actual taste.

When all is said and done I have never had any doubts about the quality of Bonjela, it has always worked really well for me, and when my tiny little unwanted sores return and my own tried and trusted methods once again fail I shall inevitably return to my tried and trusted Bonjela.