A split second of bad timing, a trip on the stairs or a ball to the face, and suddenly there is blood on the shirt and in the sink. Bites to the tongue, lip and inner cheek look dramatic because blood mixes with saliva and spreads, but most of them stop with ten minutes of firm pressure and heal on their own within a week or two. A few need stitches, and it helps to know which.
Ten minutes of pressure, without peeking
Sit upright and lean a little forward so blood drains out of the mouth instead of down the throat, where it can cause nausea. Rinse once with cool water so you can see where the cut is. Then fold a clean piece of gauze or a clean cloth and press it firmly on the wound.
For a lip, pinch it between the gauze and your thumb and finger. For the inside of the cheek, press gauze on the cut and support the cheek from outside with your other hand. For the tongue, hold the gauze on the cut and squeeze gently, or ask an older child to bite softly on it if the bite is near the tip.
Keep the pressure on for a full ten to fifteen minutes by the clock. Lifting the gauze to check pulls away the clot that is forming, so bleeding often starts again. If it is still bleeding after that time, keep the pressure on and get medical help straight away.
Once it has slowed, cold helps with swelling. Hold a wrapped ice pack against the outside of the lip or cheek for a few minutes at a time, or let a child suck an ice block or icy pole for a tongue bite.
The mouth bleeds freely and heals quickly
The lips and tongue have a rich blood supply, so even a small cut can bleed heavily at first. The same blood supply, along with saliva, helps the lining of the mouth repair faster than skin does. Within a day or so, a bitten area usually turns white or yellowish. That film is normal healing tissue, not pus, and it can look a lot like an ulcer, which our article on mouth ulcers and cold sores describes.
Cuts that need to be seen the same day
Most bites close well without stitches, including many on the tongue. Get a same-day assessment from a doctor, an emergency department or a dentist if any of these apply:
- bleeding has not stopped after ten to fifteen minutes of firm pressure
- the cut is gaping, has a loose flap, or goes right through the lip
- a lip cut crosses the line where the red of the lip meets the skin, since careful alignment there affects how it heals and looks
- a tongue cut is large, splits the edge of the tongue, or keeps reopening when the tongue moves
- there may be a fragment of tooth or something else in the wound
- a tooth has been knocked loose, chipped or pushed out of place, or the bite does not feel right
For heavy bleeding that will not slow, or any injury with difficulty breathing or swallowing, call 000 or go to an emergency department. People who take blood thinners may bleed for longer and should have a low threshold for seeking help.
If teeth were involved, treat that as a dental emergency in its own right. Our dental emergency guide explains what is urgent, and for young children who have fallen, our article on a knocked-out baby tooth covers what to do next.
After a dental visit, a numb lip is easy to chew
One very common bite happens after a filling. Local anaesthetic can leave the lip, cheek or tongue numb for a few hours, and children in particular may chew or suck on the numb area without feeling it. The result is often a swollen lip and a white sore the next day. It usually heals within a week or two with the same care as any other bite. To prevent it, keep an eye on children until the numbness has worn off and hold off on food until feeling returns.
Looking after the area for the next few days
Warm salt water rinses, about half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, two or three times a day and after meals help keep the area clean. Soft, cool foods are easier for the first day or two. Spicy, salty, acidic or crunchy foods tend to sting. Keep brushing the rest of your teeth, carefully around the sore spot. Over the counter pain relief, used as directed on the pack, can help.
Signs healing has stalled
Infection after a mouth bite is uncommon. See a dentist or doctor if, after the first day or two, pain is increasing instead of easing, swelling or redness is spreading, you notice pus or a bad taste, or you develop a fever. Any sore in the mouth that has not healed within three weeks should also be checked, a rule we explain in our article on oral cancer screening.
When you keep biting the same spot
Repeatedly biting the same patch of cheek or tongue can point to something other than bad luck. A sharp or broken tooth, a rough filling edge, crowded or tilted teeth, a new crown that sits slightly high, or a habit of chewing the cheek when stressed can all play a part. The area may become thick and white over time. A dentist or OHT can look for a cause and smooth a sharp edge, adjust a bite, or talk through a night guard if grinding is involved.
If a bite will not settle, or you think a tooth was involved, the team at Lumi Dental in Melrose Park can check the area and the teeth around it.
