Accidentally biting your lip when you’re enjoying a snack or a meal can give you a shock of pain and can be a bit of a nuisance, yet these situations rarely result in a significant lip injury.
However, there are other times when a hard blow to the face or a bad fall can cause a serious lip injury. To help you render first aid and assess your potential need for professional treatment, your dentist, Dr. David Barry, offers the following insights.
The first thing you want to do is assess the severity of the injury. If there’s blood on your lip or chin, you can use a warm, wet washcloth to gently wipe it away. If you have blood or debris in your mouth, you can rinse them away with lukewarm saltwater.
If your lip starts to swell, you can try holding a cold compress on the area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. A cold compress can be made quickly by placing crushed ice in a zip-top bag that is wrapped in a washcloth or tea towel.
If bleeding persists, you can lightly press sterile gauze to the wound. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped after 20 to 30 minutes, it likely means the lip injury requires professional care by a trained physician.
If you are struggling to offer quality first aid to an injured lip in Orem, Utah, you can always call 801-226-0441 to seek further advice from our team at Barry Family Dental.