Soft Tissues Injuries in the Mouth

Soft Tissues Injuries in the Mouth Cheltenham

soft-tissues-injuries-in-the-mouth-cheltenham The soft tissues in the mouth, such as the tongue, gums, cheeks, and lips, are fragile, and when they are injured, it can be very painful.

These soft tissues can be injured when you accidentally bite down on them, if you are bumped, fall, are in an accident, or if you put hot food in your mouth.

Chewing on hard objects also can damage the soft tissues in the mouth.

Symptoms of Injury

The main symptom of injury is persistent, pulsating pain in the affected area. At first, the tissue will be very sensitive to extreme heat and bite pressure.

Eventually, you may experience a fever. Lymph nodes beneath the jaw or in the neck can be very tender, and there may be pain in the sinus area.

If an abscess erupts, a sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting fluid will spread into the mouth.

Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissues injuries could be:

Cuts
Bruises
Lacerations
Punctures

Causes of Soft Tissue Injuries

These injuries can be caused by:

Sports accidents
Work-related accidents
Vehicular accidents
Biting down too hard
Sharp and/or hard food

First Aid: What to do during an injury?

In case of soft tissue injury, follow these tips:

Remove all debris by rinsing your mouth thoroughly. Use a lukewarm saltwater solution or an antibacterial mouthwash. For the saltwater solution, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt to eight ounces of lukewarm water. Use this to rinse your mouth several times.
Apply pressure to the injured area by pressing a clean, absorbent material on it, for 10-15 minutes to control bleeding.
To prevent/reduce swelling, apply a cold compress on the cheek against the affected area.
Call and visit your Cheltenham dentist immediately.

The soft tissues may bleed copiously a few minutes after an injury. This eventually decreases and stops after administering proper first aid steps.

However, if the bleeding does not stop, this could mean a more serious injury to your soft tissues.

Treatment at Captivate Dental

Upon visiting your Cheltenham dentist, an examination of the damage will be performed. Sometimes, your dentist needs to stitch the wound to close it.

But most of the time, your dentist will only have to sanitise the affected area, making sure there is no foreign debris left, to avoid infection.