Helpful Information for Lip Injury First Aid

Accidentally biting your lip while eating a meal or enjoying a snack is rarely a cause for concern. However, there are other times when a blow to the face or other oral accident can cause significant trauma. To help you adequately provide first aid to an injured lip, your dentist, Dr. Dennis Jenkins, offers these basic tips.

If your lip starts to swell, you can hold a cold compress on the area for 15 minutes at a time. You shouldn’t hold the cold compress to your lip for longer than 20 minutes as excess cold can also irritate sensitive tissues and impede blood flow. You can improvise a cold compress with a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel.

Minor bleeding can often be controlled by applying modest pressure to a bandage or sterile gauze pad. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped after 15 to 20 minutes, you should seek emergency care. This is often a sign that the wound requires care by a physician.

If you need professional treatment for an injured lip in Sellersburg, Indiana, you can always call 812-246-3386 to seek care at Designing Smiles PSC.