First Aid Care For Mouth Injuries In Toddlers: What To Do?

imed22/ August 29, 2021/ Dental/ 0 comments

Mouth injuries in toddlers are one of the most common types of injury. In fact, children frequently get minor cuts, lacerations, and wounds to the lips and mouth while playing or participating in sports activities. Many patients at Radiant Smiles Bundoora, are young children who have knocked-out teeth because of mouth trauma. Keep reading to know how to treat mouth injuries in children, including when to call a doctor and ways to prevent them.

Mouth Injury

Injuries to the lip, tongue, flap under the upper lip, inner cheeks, roof of the mouth, floor of the mouth, or back of the mouth. The common forms of child’s mouth injuries include:

• Cuts inside of the cheeks or injuries of the tongue are the most common mouth damage.
• Cuts and injuries of the upper lip are common due to falls. A tear of the tissue associating the upper lip to the gum is exceptionally regular and does not need stitches to heal.
• Injuries of the lower lip are generally caused by getting it between the upper and lower teeth during an accident or fall.
• Potentially severe mouth injuries are those to the soft palate, tonsil, or back of the throat.

First Aid Care for Mouth Injuries

Children’s mouth injuries mostly look a lot more awful than they truly are. This is because there are several blood vessels in the areas close to the head and neck. That even a small tear on the lip or tongue of your child can cause so much bleeding. It will undoubtedly be somewhat frightening, mainly if you are the weak-kneed type. However, you need to stay calm since chances are you are dealing with a minor issue. You can follow these first aid steps to lessen the bleeding, manage the pain, prevent infection and begin the healing:

Stop The Bleeding

For bleeding from the external surface of the lip or tongue, use a clean cloth or a piece of gauze to the affected part. Make sure to run it first under clean water, then gently press the area for as long as possible. Ten minutes of pressure is ideal yet may not be applicable if you have a baby or toddler on your hands. If bleeding is from the inner lips, apply gentle pressure to the affected part for at least 10 minutes or as long as you can. Try not to pull the lip after that to look at the damage that will begin the bleeding once more.

Distract Your Child As You Treat Them

If you can pull out a favorite distraction or put on a favorite DVD, this would be helpful. The more extended your child sits still for treatment, the faster the bleeding will stop.

Keep It Cool

Use an ice pack or a bag of frozen veggies to the injured mouth to numb the pain and diminish the swelling. Suppose your child is old enough to deal with one. Sucking on a piece of ice or popsicle may likewise relieve a minor mouth injury.

Provide Pain Relief As Necessary

Most mouth wounds do not hold a child down for long. However, if your kid seems to be in a lot of pain, a dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen should manage the discomfort. Keep in mind that these medications are applicable if a child is over the age of 6 months.

Feed With Care

During the healing period, keep your child’s diet on the bland side. Any acidic or salty foods and drinks may sting. Also, a gentler than regular diet may be less likely to irritate them, especially if the cut is inside the mouth. An ice pop will continue to be a soothing treat. Washing the wound with warm water after meals will keep food from assembling in a mouth cut.

Give It A Couple of Days

Mouth wounds in kids most are minor and typically mend in three to four days.

Kids Health Information: When To Call Your Doctor

You can often treat most mouth wounds in children at home. You can click this link to know more. In any case, be sure to go to a children’s hospital or call your doctor if your child encounters any of these conditions:

• A deep or expanding cut or a tear longer than half an inch.
• Severe bleeding that does not stop after ten minutes of direct pressure
• There is dirt or embedded debris in the wound.
• The wound was caused by a human or animal bite.
• The wound was brought about by a dirty or rusty object, especially if you think your child does not yet get the tetanus vaccine.
• There is a puncture wound to the top of the mouth or back of the tonsils or throat, harming deeper tissues in the neck and head.
•  You think your child has a bone injury. For example, your kid cannot move his jaw, or your child’s tooth has been knocked out.
• In the initial few days after the injury, you notice some signs of infection, such as increased swelling, redness, pain, or unexplained fever.

Ways to Prevent Mouth Injuries in Children

Regardless of the number of precautions you take or rules you set and enforce, odds are you will not be able to forestall every mouth injury. In any case, they will occur less regularly if you:

• Take childproofing steps that prevent slip-ups and soften those inescapable falls. These include cushioning table edges and anything else that is sharp and making sure that all area rugs have non-slip cushions.
• Do not allow your child to walk or run with a toy in his mouth.
• Do not let your child run or walk while holding a sharp object.
• When possible, let your walking child practice those abilities barefoot or in non-skid shoes or socks to cut down on falls and trips.
• Make eating time a sit-down affair.
• Give smaller portions of food, so your child does not try to stick a lot of food in his mouth at once, which may promote accidentally biting down on his tongue or cheek. Keep in mind to put your toddler in a car seat to forestall injuries to the mouth or other parts of the body.

Moreover, suppose your child is old enough. In that case, you can also try wearing a mouthguard, especially for your child who actively participates in sports. You can buy it over the counter or visit your dentist for a custom-made mouthguard.

References:

Mouth and Dental Injuries.

https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/mouthi

Cuts and Wounds of the Mouth and Lips.

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=cuts-and-wounds-of-the-mouth-and-lips-90-P02836

12 First-Aid Tips for Common Kid Injuries.

https://www.parents.com/health/injuries/first-aid/first-aid-tips-for-common-kid-injuries/

Tetanus Vaccination.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/tetanus/index.html

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) vs. Ibuprofen (Advil) for Pain (Differences in Side Effects and Dosage).

https://www.medicinenet.com/acetaminophen_vs_ibuprofen_side_effects/article.htm