Care Advice
- Upper Lip and Frenulum Bleeding - How To Stop:
- Cuts of the inside of the upper lip are very common.
- Often, the piece of tissue that connects the upper lip to the upper gum is torn. This tissue is called the upper labial frenulum.
- The main symptom is oozing tiny amounts of blood.
- This cut always heals perfectly without sutures.
- For bleeding from the frenulum, use direct pressure. Press the outer lip against the teeth for 10 minutes.
- Caution: Once bleeding has stopped, don't pull the lip out to look at it. Reason: The bleeding will start up again.
- It's safe to look at it after 3 days.
- Lower Lip Bleeding - How to Stop:
- Most children who fall and bite their lower lip have 2 cuts. They have cuts to both the outside and inside of the lip.
- Catching the lower lip between the upper and lower teeth causes the 2 cuts. This tends to happen in children with an overbite.
- Most of these small cuts do not connect with each other.
- For bleeding from the lip, use direct pressure. Press the outer lip against the teeth for 10 minutes.
- Tongue Bleeding - How to Stop:
- Bites of the tongue rarely need sutures.
- Even if they gape open a little, tongue cuts usually heal quickly. If the edges come together when the tongue is still, it needs no treatment.
- For tongue bleeding, try to press on the bleeding site with a sterile gauze. You can also use a piece of clean cloth. Do this for 5 minutes if it's practical.
- Cuts of the tongue normally tend to ooze a little blood for several hours. This is due to the rich blood supply in the mouth.
- For constant oozing of blood, can use a moistened tea bag for 10 minutes. (Reason: tannic acid released from the tea bag may stop the oozing).
- Cold for Pain:
- Put a piece of ice or popsicle on the spot that was injured.
- You can also use a cold wet washcloth.
- Do this for 20 minutes.
- Pain Medicine:
- To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
- Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
- Use as needed.
- Soft Diet:
- Try to get your child to drink adequate fluids.
- Goal: Keep your child well hydrated.
- Cold drinks, milk shakes, popsicles, slushes, and sherbet are good choices.
- Solids. Offer a soft diet. Also avoid foods that need much chewing. Avoid citrus, salty, or spicy foods.
- Rinse the wound with warm water right away after meals.
- What to Expect:
- Small cuts and scrapes inside the mouth heal up in 3 or 4 days.
- Infections of mouth injuries are rare.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Mouth looks infected (mainly increasing pain or swelling after 48 hours)
- Fever occurs
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.