Mandy - I was kind of surprised to see that they want you to rinse with some soluble aspirin. That seems counterintuitive to me. Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid . The mechanisms of pain relief with it is never through direct contact but through stomach absorption and outward from there. When aspirin comes in direct contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth it causes burns. I can remember a patient that came into the clinic that had a tooth ache and the idiot had taken an aspirin tablet and put it on his gums hoping to directly get the relief there faster. It had caused a huge ulcer on his gums within a few hours� something significantly more painful than the tooth ache.

Perhaps when soluble it is diluted so much it is absorbed faster in your stomach, but that can't be highly consequential. This statement must reflect some across the pond differences in phraseology rather then chemistry because no one would ever topically apply aspirin, that just isn't how it works.

I kinda laugh some times at what the health service has said when it comes to things ( other posters comments) because in my case the pain from the radiation induced mucocitis in my mouth required MORPHINE and other opiates!! And my situation was not uncommon. Obviously you want to take the lest damaging drug to deal with pain as you can, but it will not be long before an aspirin tablet (taken properly) will not even put a dent in the discomfort.

Please don't let this scare you, I did not mean it to, but just wanted to convey that the doctors may have misstated or something may have been misunderstood. I am sure when the time comes it ail sort itself all out.