A Significant Lip Injury Might Need First-Aid While Assessing the Need for Further Care

There are times when a household accident, a hard fall, or a blow to the face from sports can cause significant oral trauma. While this can certainly damage teeth and gums it could also cause a serious lip injury.

In a moment such as this applying, some simple first-aid measure can help manage pain, and reduce further complications while assessing the need for professional care.

If needed, you can wipe away any dried blood with a wet washcloth. This might also help you to get a better view of the traumatized tissues.

Applying a cold compress to the lip for 15 minutes at a time can help reduce swelling. If you don’t have a quality cold compress on hand, you can always improvise with a bag of frozen vegetables or ice cubes in a plastic bag that is then wrapped in a tea towel.

Lightly pressing a bandage or sterile gauze pad to the area can help control any bleeding. If your lip continues to bleed for more than half an hour you should strongly consider going to the Emergency Room or seeking the care of a trained physician.

If you are in the Grass Valley, California, area and you need additional oral first-aid advice for an oral trauma, you can always call 530.273.4442 to speak to a member of staff at Paul L. Evans, DDS.