Mouth Injury: Care Instructions

Overview

Mouth injuries are common. They may involve the teeth, lips, tongue, inner cheeks, gums, tonsils, or the roof of the mouth. A mouth injury can also affect the jaw or neck.

You may injure your teeth during a fall or while playing sports. An injury can crack, chip, or break a tooth or make a tooth change color. A tooth also may be knocked out, loosened, moved, or jammed into the gum or lip and cause an injury.

An injury to the roof of your mouth, the inner cheeks, the back of your throat, or a tonsil can injure deeper tissues in your head or neck. These injuries can happen when you fall with a pointed object, such as a pencil, in your mouth.

You may also bite the inside of your cheek while chewing, causing a sore. Or you may bite your tongue while playing sports or during a fall, a car or bike crash, or an assault. Braces or mouth jewelry can also poke or cause sores on mouth tissues. Sometimes the tissue between your lips and gums or under your tongue may tear or rip. A cut or tear to the tongue can bleed a lot.

Small mouth injuries may often heal on their own. If the injury is long or deep or won't stop bleeding, it may need stitches or other treatment.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and contact your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

• Try using a piece of ice or a flavored ice pop to cool the inside of your mouth.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water right after meals. Saltwater rinses may relieve some pain. To make a saltwater solution for rinsing the mouth, mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water.
• Eat soft foods that are easy to chew.
• Avoid foods that might sting. These include salty or spicy foods, citrus fruits or juices, and tomatoes.
• Do not use a straw until your wound is healed.
• Try using a topical medicine, such as Orabase, to reduce mouth pain.
• If your doctor told you how to care for your wound, follow your doctor's instructions. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice:
  • Wash the area with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. They can slow healing.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • Store your prescription pain medicines where no one else can get to them. When you are done using them, dispose of them quickly and safely. Your local pharmacy or hospital may have a drop-off site.
• Avoid any activity that could cause the cut to reopen.
• Follow your doctor's instructions about when to come back if you have any stitches to be removed.
• Don’t smoke, vape, or use other tobacco or nicotine products. These things slow healing and recovery. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about quit programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• You have trouble breathing.

Contact your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have new or worse bleeding.
• You have symptoms of infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
  • Red streaks leading from the area.
  • Pus draining from the area.
  • A fever.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You do not get better as expected.