Unfortunately, I am someone who is terminally plagued with mouth ulcers. They form huge ridges across my mouth and for a short space of time consume my life with their painful stinging. There comes a point when eventually I reach for the bonjela. It is basically a gel that you apply a small amount to the affected area. In my case this is mouth ulcers, which seems to be the main problem for those that use the product. However, it is also used for alleviating the pain of braces, dentures and cold sores. Some of my friends have used bonjela for these purposes and have found it an effective pain relief.

This is a medicine and so should be treated with caution. The dosage instructions are to massage about a centimeter of bonjela onto your ulcer or other mouth problem and then only repeat after 3 hours have passed. In addition, you are supposed to not apply it directly to dentures if that is the reason you are using the product. Instead, you apply it to the mouth and wait 30 minutes before you put your dentures back in. This shows just how broad the product's appeal is. Even though it is not mentioned on the packaging, I do know that some people use it for teething children. Given that it also applies to the elderly with dentures and everyone else, this is quite a useful medicine cabinet product to have. Nonetheless, I should mention at this point that the standard bonjela product commands you not to give it to children and adolescents under the age of 16. This is because of the risk of Reye's syndrome from choline salicylate, which can be fatal when it affects the liver and brain. There are other products available, therefore, such as the children's version of bonjela, that are suitable for this type of usage. Though the warning was slightly worrying given that I had been using bonjela my entire life including all my childhood, it is worth staying on the safe side.

I have found that the dosage is not necessarily worth keeping to slavishly. The main problem with bonjela is that it can really sting when you apply it to something painful like mouth ulcers. This often stops me from using it when they are not too bad, because it just is not worth it. However, using it just before meals, and just before brushing your teeth is a good idea as these are times of high impact for mouth problems and make life just generally easier. You dont want to be trying to eat with friends or family and making strange expressions or audible cries of pain, as I often do when I have not used bonjela.

My main tip for using the product does involve altering the dosage level. I suggest that you copy what I do because it makes the product much less painful. About five minutes before I am about to use bonjela, I use a small amount on the affected area. Applying it is simple, just use clean hands to squeeze the small tube and rub a tiny amount into the ulcer. Then, wait those five minutes for it to numb the pain slightly. When that time is complete, it is much less distressing to apply a full amount of bonjela. Otherwise, you may find yourself in my position, hopping up and down in the bathroom to the concern of everyone else in the house because it is so painful.

In terms of the value of the product, it is very good value for money. It tends to retail at about £2, and you can get it in most supermarkets, chemists and high street health retailers like Boots. Even though it is a small tube with instructions in a slightly larger box, it lasts a long time. Indeed, I have found that the cyclical nature of my mouth ulcers means that I get to the use by date and still have not used all of the product up. In short, this is a fantastic medicine which is well worth having in your basic store cupboard, especially if you suffer from mouth ulcers or other problems in the mouth.