Keeping the soft tissues in the mouth healthy is important for good oral health. Just like your teeth, they are exposed to dental emergencies.
And since they are composed of a large number of blood vessels, they can easily bleed profusely, making an injury appear much worse that it really is.
When this happens, panic usually sets in. First aid knowledge is very important to efficiently handle this. Golden Square Dental is your partner in dental emergencies. Same Day Emergency Appointment usually available for you and your loved ones at Golden Square.
Soft Tissues In The Mouth: Injury And Causes
The soft tissues of the mouth include your gums, lips, tongue, and cheeks. They are very delicate and sensitive; that’s why they are usually involved in dental emergencies.
Their injury could be:
- Tissue flaps
These injuries are usually caused by:
- Biting down hard on food
- Knocked out tooth
- Sports activities
- Work trauma
- Vehicular accidents
- Sharp/ hard/ hot/ cold food
First Aid Steps
If you or your child has injuries in the soft tissues of the mouth, follow these first aid steps:
- Prepare a lukewarm salt-water solution by dissolving ½ teaspoon of salt to 8 ounces of water. Use this as gargle.
- Apply pressure on the injured area using a clean gauze or any clean piece of material that easily absorbs blood and saliva.
- Hold ice over injured area for 10-15 minutes to reduce blood flow, pain, and swelling.
- An injury to the soft tissues of the mouth bleeds a lot but usually ends after a few minutes. If after administering the first aid steps, the affected area continues to bleed, this could be an indication of a serious injury.
- Visit your dentist immediately.
Treatment At Golden Square Dental
Upon your visit to your dentist, he/she will thoroughly examine the injury and the extent of the damage.
If for example, the real cause is a knocked out tooth, your dentist will fix the tooth then clean the injured soft tissue. In most cases, your dentist only needs to thoroughly clean the area.
However in more serious cases where the bleeding is persistent, your dentist might stitch close the wound.
Either way, to avoid infection your dentist will make sure that there is no foreign matter lodged in the affected area.
Same Day Emergency Appointment Usually Available!
Golden Square Dental, your trusted local dentist in Golden Square, solves dental emergencies for you and your loved ones. Stop the pain and visit your local dentist today!