You might not know what a soft tissue injury of the mouth is, but one thing is for certain, you’ve certainly experienced one. Admittedly, the usual soft tissue injury is something that will barely register with you for more than a couple of minutes unless you have inadvertently bitten your tongue or inside of your mouth whilst eating or chewing gum. The first indicator that you even have a soft tissue injury in your mouth is when you attempt to eat something salty or spicy, you certainly feel it then! The good news is that the vast majority of soft tissue injuries in the mouth heal of their own accord within a day or two and you can continue your normal diet as usual.
You may also have encountered a soft tissue injury in your mouth if you have eaten or drunk something that it very hot, an example being the hot cheese from a freshly baked pizza. The pain is enough to make you shout out load and certainly make you think twice about grabbing another slice too quickly! Although most cases are minor, there may be a time where you need to get in touch with an emergency dentist in Sydney or in your local area. This is obviously a worst-case scenario commonly seen in sporting injuries where the bleed is persistent, and the possibility of tooth damage is present.
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Home Remedies
Before you get online and start looking for dentists or make an appointment with your local dentist, please see below for some things you can do at home to help your soft tissue injury. This isn’t to say don’t visit a dentist if you feel the situation warrants it. However, if it is relatively minor, you can treat yourself without leaving the comfort of your own home.
- Rinse your mouth regularly with saltwater, swirl about your mouth for a couple of minutes – rinse and repeat regularly
- For persistent bleeding, press a damp and sterile gauze against the wound and hold it there. If you don’t have a gauze to hand, you can use any piece of absorbent material providing it’s sterile.
- Holding ice to the infected area can also help reduce bleeding and swelling. Try wrapping an ice cube with some gauze or other sterile material for easier use.
If you have tried all of the above and the bleeding still continues, you will need to make an emergency appointment with your dentist. Call your regular dentist in the first instance or get someone else to call him and explain your injury. He may refer you to an emergency room to avail the services of an oral surgeon. The surgeon will then assess and treat your initial injury and may be in a position to assess any damage your teeth or jaw may have sustained and recommend a course of treatment.
This said, most soft tissue injuries of the mouth are easily treatable and if the injury is minor, can easily be treated at home or by your family dentist.
