Propolis is a resinous mixture that is collected by honey bees from tree buds, sap flow, and other botanical sources.
Propolis has been extensively used in medicine, dentistry, and
cosmetics; however, unwanted effects have been reported. This paper reports a case of oral mucosal
burn in a 50-year-old patient, who used an overnight application of concentrated
propolis to overcome a throbbing
pain in the right upper posterior mucosa. The patient was otherwise healthy and was not receiving any medication. She presented with painful shallow multiple irregular
ulcers measuring 0.3-1 cm in diameter that were located on the right buccal mucosa and hard palate mucosa, in addition to the gingival mucosa surrounding tooth 17.
Propolis-induced oral mucosal
burn was diagnosed. The
ulcer cleared after the prescription of
tetracycline mouthwash, accompanied with Doloneurobion. The patient was further treated with
carbamazepine to address the persistent throbbing
pain in the affected area, which was suspected to be
trigeminal neuralgia. This report provides another alert to clinicians about the potential adverse effects of
propolis use for the treatment of oral diseases, despite its natural origin.