WHAT TO DO ABOUT A MOUTH INJURY
Most mouth injuries in children look much worse than they are. A small tiny cut on the little’s one lip or tongue can cause a lot of bleeding and be a little scary for all involved.
Remain calm. Distract the child from the injury, even putting on a dvd and try to keep the child as still as possible. The following steps will help reduce the bleeding, ease the pain, prevent infection and start the healing.
1.Stop the bleeding: If bleeding is from the outer lip or tongue; apply gentle pressure to the area with a clean cloth or gauze, ideally running the cloth under cold water first. 10 minutes of pressure is ideal. If bleeding is from the inner lip be sure to gently press the part of the lip against your child’s teeth, avoiding pulling the lip.
2.Keep it cool: Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling and pain. ( a packet of frozen peas also works).Use of a towel around the ice pack to avoid skin irritation . Popsicles are also a soothing treat.
3. Provide pain relief as needed. If your child is in a lot of discomfort, a dose of ibuprofen should ease the pain provided your child is over 6 months old. The pain should subside 24-48hrs after the injury
4. Feed with Care: Whilst the cut is on the mend, avoid foods that may sting such as juices being acidic and salty foods etc. Popsicles once again are a soothing treat and rinsing with warm water after meals will keep food from accumulating in the mouth.
5.Give it a few days : Most mouth injuries in children heal within a few days however keep an eye out for any increased swelling, pain or redness.
Be sure to call a Dr is there is heavy bleeding, a deep cut that may needs stitches, embedded debris or dirt in the wound, Knocked out teeth or broken teeth should be seen by a dentist as soon as possible.
