Mouth Cuts

Mouth Laceration

Scenario: Mouth and tongue cuts usually are caused by a blunt hit to the face. Usually, it's a face-plant during an endo. Some unlucky bikers hit the handlebars, which usually caused a more severe mouth injury.

Description:
Most cuts inside the mouth heal quickly. Most don't need stitches. If the cut is small, stops bleeding, and doesn't gape open, it can usually be treated at home.

Typical cut inside the upper lip, common in youngsters. The cut is caused by the front teeth pinching the tissue against the ground. Always check for injury to the teeth.

A minor cut inside the upper lip.
A minor cut inside the upper lip.
A cut on the border of the lip. It's a bigger problem than it seems.
A cut on the border of the lip. It's a bigger problem than it seems.
Concerns:
Some mouth cuts are contaminated -- dirt from a fall on the road, a chip of tooth, etc. These cuts should be cleaned by the doctor. Large or gaping cuts will get bits of food in them. Stitches might be needed. Cuts that show on the OUTSIDE of the lip should always be checked by the doctor.

A face-plant while learning to ride. Despite the small size, this cut will leave a very noticeable scar if it isn't cared for properly.

See the doctor if:
    a cut gapes or changes shape as the lips, tongue, or jaw is moved
    the cut continues to bleed
    the cut is longer than a half-inch
    there is possible contamination or foreign matter in the wound

Immediate care:
Rinse the cut with eye wash solution. Avoid solid food for a few hours.

Ongoing care:
Use a soft diet the first day or two. Avoid foods that can sting (pizza sauce and other tart or spicy foods). Avoid stretching the mouth for big foods, such as whole apples or corn on the cob. Expect about 4 to 5 days to heal.

Watch for:
Expect bad breath. See the doctor if there is redness and hardness of the upper lip, swelling in the area to the side of the nose, fever, or swollen tender glands below the angle of the jaw.  See section on infection.

Frenulum Laceration

Scenario:
Typically, a youngster who's just learning to bike falls forward, with a very minor bump to the mouth. This cut bleeds like crazy and scares parents to death, but it's no big deal.

Description:
The membrane between the upper gum and upper lip is called the frenulum. This membrane may be torn when the lip is bumped. This is usually not a serious injury. This membrane has no useful purpose, so it's best to let a torn frenulum heal on its own.
A torn frenulum. No big deal.
A torn frenulum. No big deal.

Concerns:
A small tear in the frenulum heals well without stitches. If the laceration is under 1/2 inch long, it can usually be ignored. Possible complications include infection, continued bleeding, or unrecognized injury to the roots of the teeth or the bone of the upper jaw.

See the doctor if:
    the laceration is very large
    the laceration won't stop bleeding
    there is dirt or debris in the wound
    the tissue edges don't meet properly when you stop pulling the lip
    there are other injuries
See the dentist if:
    a tooth is tender, wiggling, cracked, or missing
   
Immediate care:
Cold pack the area. If bleeding continues, apply gentle pressure immediately below the nostrils.

Ongoing care:
Use a soft diet for about two days. Avoid tart or spicy foods. Avoid stretching the mouth for big foods, such as whole apples or
corn on the cob. Expect about 4 to 7 days to heal.

Watch for:
Expect bad breath. See the doctor if there is redness and hardness of the upper lip, swelling in the area to the side of the nose, fever, or swollen tender glands below the angle of the jaw.  See section on infection.

Tongue Laceration

Scenario:
Usually caused by hitting the chin. The teeth trap the tongue, biting a hole in it.

Description:
Most cuts on the tongue heal quickly, with no special care required. You may, in fact, hear that doctors never sew tongue cuts. Not true. Big deep cuts of the tongue require stitches!

Concerns:
A small cut in the tongue heals well without stitches. If the laceration is under 1/2 inch long and doesn't gape when you move your tongue around, it can usually be ignored. Big or deep tongue cuts will open up and move around as you use your tongue -- filling up with taco chips. The result is a permanent cleft in the tongue. The tongue almost never gets infected, but if it does, it's very serious.

See the doctor if:
    the laceration is very large or shifts around when the tongue is moved
    the laceration won't stop bleeding
    there is dirt or debris in the wound
    the jaw can't be moved fully
    there are other injuries
See the dentist if:
    a tooth is tender, wiggling, cracked, or missing
   
Immediate care:
Push the part of the tongue that's bleeding against the cheek or the roof of the mouth.

Ongoing care:
Use a soft diet for about two days. Avoid tart or spicy foods. Avoid splintery or sharp foods such as taco chips. Expect about 4 to 7 days to heal.

Watch for:
Expect bad breath. See the doctor if the tongue swells significantly, or if there's fever, or swollen tender glands below the angle of the jaw.  See section on infection.

Gum Laceration

Scenario:
It usually takes a major big-time face-plant to tear the gums. So there will usually be other injuries along with it. Even if the only evident injury is a cut on the gum, consider the possibility that something inside (such as a broken tooth or broken jaw) tore out through the gum.

Description:
A simple cut of the gum usually heals quickly, and can heal without stitches. However, most cuts of the gum due to mountain-biking are accompanied by serious injury to the teeth or jaw.

Concerns:
A large cut on the gum may need to be pulled closed with stitches. Any cut on the gum may indicate a deeper injury to the underlying tooth or the bone surrounding the tooth.

See the doctor if:
    the laceration is very large or gaping open
    the laceration won't stop bleeding
    there is dirt or debris in the wound
    the jaw can't be moved fully
    there are other injuries
See the dentist if:
    a tooth is tender, wiggling, cracked, or missing

Immediate care:
Stop the bleeding. If the bleeding is from the outer gum surface, cup your hand over the entire mouth area and hold gentle pressure. If it's the inner surface (on the inside of the teeth),  push the tongue against the bleeding area.

Ongoing care:
Use a soft diet for about two days. Avoid tart or spicy foods. Avoid splintery or sharp foods such as taco chips. Expect about 4 to 7 days to heal.

Watch for:
Expect bad breath. See the dentist if pain increases, teeth become tender, or if there's fever, or swollen tender glands below the angle of the jaw.   See section on infection.