When to call the doctor about a mouth injury
You can usually treat most mouth injuries in children at home. But be sure to call the doctor under any of these circumstances:
- If there’s heavy bleeding that doesn’t stop after ten minutes of direct pressure — or you were unable to keep direct pressure on your squirmy child and he’s still bleeding profusely.
- There is a deep or gaping cut, longer than a half inch.
- You see embedded debris or dirt in the wound.
- There’s a puncture wound to the roof of the mouth, back of the throat, or tonsils, which can injure deeper tissues in the head or neck.
- The wound was caused by a dirty or rusty object (especially if you’re unsure whether your child is up-to-date on the tetanus vaccine).
- The wound was caused by an animal or human bite.
- You suspect any bone injury (for example, your child is unable to move his jaw or their cheekbone is swollen)
- Your child’s tooth has been broken or knocked out.
- You see signs of infection in the first few days after the injury. Redness, increased swelling, pain, or unexplained fever are all indicators.
Written By: Dr. Ngo
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