How to Heal a Bitten Tongue
Wash your hands., Apply pressure., Examine the wound., Check for other injuries., Apply a cold pack., Take a pain pill., Rinse with mouthwash.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Wash your hands.
Before you touch the inside of your mouth, take a minute to wash your hands with warm water and soap.
If this is not available, use hand sanitizer.
The goal is to prevent the germs on your hands from transferring to the now open wound on your tongue, possibly causing infection.Resistant viruses can also cause an infection if they come into contact with a bleeding wound. -
Step 2: Apply pressure.
Your tongue will most likely start bleeding the moment it is bitten because it is highly vascular.
Applying pressure to the area will slow the blood flow and allow it to clot.
It is important to take action immediately following the injury.If the tip of your tongue is injured, push it up against the roof of your mouth and hold for five second intervals.
You can also press your tongue against the interior of your cheek.
If you can reach the wound, grab a piece of ice and place it on the bitten area.
You can even hold the ice cube using your hard palate and pressing on it with your tongue if it's not too painful.
Move the ice on and off until it melts.
You can also place a clean cloth or medical gauze on the area, pressing down a bit as you do so., Open your mouth wide and use a mirror to look inside at your tongue.
If the bleeding has stopped and the wound appears superficial, you can continue to treat it at home.
If the bleeding continues or increases and the cut seems deep, call your dentist to see if sutures are necessary.
It may also be an emergency if the bleeding is intense.
In this case, you should call emergency services. , Biting your tongue can often be the result of a sports injury or a falling accident.
Feel the rest of your mouth to check for damaged or loose teeth, or bleeding gums which can be caused by a tooth fracture.
Move your jaw up and down to see if you experience any additional pain.
If you have one of these injuries, contact your doctor or dentist., Your tongue will begin to swell right after the injury.
This makes it easy to bite it again.
Place something cold, such as ice wrapped in a clean cloth, to the wound site.
Hold the pack in place for a minute until numbness begins to set in, then remove it.
Repeat.
You may want to do this several times over the next few days.If a child is the one injured, they may prefer that you use a frozen fruit bar to numb the area., Choose an anti-inflammatory medication that you tolerate well, such as Advil, and take the recommended dosage as soon as you can.
This will help to reduce the swelling.
It will also counter the onset of pain, which is likely to occur shortly after injury., If you have mouthwash on hand, use it to quickly rinse out your mouth.
This will help to clean the area and prevent infection.
This is especially important if you were eating when you bit down.
Spit out the mouthwash and repeat once more if blood is present. -
Step 3: Examine the wound.
-
Step 4: Check for other injuries.
-
Step 5: Apply a cold pack.
-
Step 6: Take a pain pill.
-
Step 7: Rinse with mouthwash.
Detailed Guide
Before you touch the inside of your mouth, take a minute to wash your hands with warm water and soap.
If this is not available, use hand sanitizer.
The goal is to prevent the germs on your hands from transferring to the now open wound on your tongue, possibly causing infection.Resistant viruses can also cause an infection if they come into contact with a bleeding wound.
Your tongue will most likely start bleeding the moment it is bitten because it is highly vascular.
Applying pressure to the area will slow the blood flow and allow it to clot.
It is important to take action immediately following the injury.If the tip of your tongue is injured, push it up against the roof of your mouth and hold for five second intervals.
You can also press your tongue against the interior of your cheek.
If you can reach the wound, grab a piece of ice and place it on the bitten area.
You can even hold the ice cube using your hard palate and pressing on it with your tongue if it's not too painful.
Move the ice on and off until it melts.
You can also place a clean cloth or medical gauze on the area, pressing down a bit as you do so., Open your mouth wide and use a mirror to look inside at your tongue.
If the bleeding has stopped and the wound appears superficial, you can continue to treat it at home.
If the bleeding continues or increases and the cut seems deep, call your dentist to see if sutures are necessary.
It may also be an emergency if the bleeding is intense.
In this case, you should call emergency services. , Biting your tongue can often be the result of a sports injury or a falling accident.
Feel the rest of your mouth to check for damaged or loose teeth, or bleeding gums which can be caused by a tooth fracture.
Move your jaw up and down to see if you experience any additional pain.
If you have one of these injuries, contact your doctor or dentist., Your tongue will begin to swell right after the injury.
This makes it easy to bite it again.
Place something cold, such as ice wrapped in a clean cloth, to the wound site.
Hold the pack in place for a minute until numbness begins to set in, then remove it.
Repeat.
You may want to do this several times over the next few days.If a child is the one injured, they may prefer that you use a frozen fruit bar to numb the area., Choose an anti-inflammatory medication that you tolerate well, such as Advil, and take the recommended dosage as soon as you can.
This will help to reduce the swelling.
It will also counter the onset of pain, which is likely to occur shortly after injury., If you have mouthwash on hand, use it to quickly rinse out your mouth.
This will help to clean the area and prevent infection.
This is especially important if you were eating when you bit down.
Spit out the mouthwash and repeat once more if blood is present.
About the Author
Lisa West
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in crafts and beyond.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: