Overview
Mouth injuries are common in children. They may involve the teeth, jaw, lips, tongue, inner cheeks, or gums. A mouth injury can also affect the roof of your child's mouth, neck, or tonsils.
Your child's teeth may be injured during a fall. An injury can crack, chip, or break a tooth or make a tooth change colour. A tooth also may be knocked out, loosened, moved, or jammed into the gum.
An injury to the roof of your child's mouth, the back of your child's throat, or a tonsil can injure deeper tissues in your child's head or neck. These injuries can happen when a child falls with a pointed object, such as a pencil, in their mouth. Make sure that your child doesn't walk or run with objects in their mouth. This will help keep your child safe.
Your child also may bite their tongue because of a seizure, a car crash, or another injury.
A cut or tear to the tongue can bleed a lot. Small injuries may often heal on their own. If the injury is long or deep, it may need stitches that dissolve over time.
Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter F679 in the search box to learn more about "Mouth Injury in Children: Care Instructions".