Clinical review: Dr. Samreen Ejaz, BDS, RDS ·
More than the cut you can see
A fall, a knock or a bite can hurt the teeth as well as the lip or gum. We’ll ask how and when it happened, whether it’s still bleeding and whether any tooth, piece of tooth or filling is missing. A broken fragment can end up inside a lip wound, so sometimes we need to look more closely, or take an X-ray, before closing anything.
What we check
We look at where the wound is, how deep it goes, whether dirt got in and how the tissue looks, and we check the teeth nearby too. We’ll also ask about your medicines, health conditions and, where it matters, your tetanus vaccination. Some injuries are better treated at a hospital, and if that’s the case we’ll tell you straight away.
How it’s treated
Usually we clean the wound first and then decide whether it needs closing or something else. Plenty of small cuts inside the mouth heal well without stitches. Larger or more complicated face injuries may need a hospital team rather than a dental chair. Either way, you’ll leave with written instructions for your injury and know whether you need to come back for a review.
While it heals
Keep the area clean the way we show you, eat soft food and leave any stitches alone. Come back soon if the swelling increases, you get a fever, there’s pus or it starts bleeding again. Go straight to a hospital emergency department for heavy bleeding that won’t stop, any difficulty breathing, or a serious head or face injury. Don’t wait for a reply to an online booking.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
Questions about soft-tissue injury management
Can I just send a photo instead of coming in?
A message helps us arrange care quickly, but a photo can’t show how deep a wound is. If it’s bleeding heavily or you’re worried, come in or go to an emergency department.
Does every cut inside the mouth need stitches?
No. It depends on where it is, how deep it goes, how much it bleeds and the state of the tissue around it.
This is general information. What’s right for your tooth depends on what Dr. Samreen finds when she examines it.
Background reading: NHS: dental treatments. These are overseas sources, so their prices and rules don’t apply here.