Bitten tongue: what to do?
Biting the tongue hurts, but in most cases it is harmless. On the other hand, if your child suffers from epileptic seizures or if it falls on its mouth in an accident, serious injuries can occur. If it has bitten its tongue, you should take care of the wounds properly.
Soothe your child when they bit their tongue
First and foremost, you should calm your child down, because both the pain and the shock after biting their tongue run deep, especially when blood is flowing.
stop the bleeding
- If your child has bitten his tongue so badly that the wound is bleeding profusely, you must first stop the bleeding. You can take a handkerchief or clean gauze bandages and apply light pressure to your tongue for up to five minutes.
- When the bleeding has stopped, give your child an ice cube. This helps to reduce swelling and also relieves pain at the same time.
Bitten in the tongue: when to see the doctor?
If it is an injury in which the tongue bleeds profusely and for a long time, a visit to the doctor is strongly recommended. If you have a deep bite and are bleeding profusely, you should call emergency services as the wound may need stitches. Because depending on the “bite force” different tendons can be affected. It can also cause inflammation. Therefore, it is generally better if you give your child to medical care immediately.
support healing of the tongue
Depending on the injury, it takes time for the wound to heal. But you can speed up this process a bit.
- Ointments from the pharmacy, which promote wound healing of the mucous membranes in the mouth, can be very helpful.
- But natural products such as sage or chamomile tea also work wonders.