“My daughter has a cut inside of her mouth from falling. How can I rule out any infection?”
My daughter is 3 years old and last night she fell pretty badly, causing her to have cuts on her chin and on the inside of her mouth with severe bleeding. The doctor said she wouldn’t need any medication for the inside cut. But how can I rule out any signs of infection?
23 Answers
If your daughter was seen by a doctor and no sutures were needed, having your daughter rinse her mouth with warm salt water for a few days can be soothing on the tissues. If the area were infected your daughter would show signs that would indicate something was wrong.
I am sorry about your daughter's fall. Signs of infection would include pus discharge, a bad taste in the mouth, swelling, and a more intense red around the area of the cut. You can always take her to a dentist to have him evaluate it. There could be teeth that have been traumatized during the fall that may need treatment to prevent infections from trauma to the blood vessels and nerves as they enter the teeth roots. Most regular physicians don't know anything about the mouth and almost avoid it or refer their patients to their dentist. The mouth heals every 7 days so if an infection or problem is getting worse rather than better it is usually pretty obvious.
Cuts on the inside of the mouth often look worse than cuts on the chin by the nature of the type of tissue on the inside of the mouth. Inside the mouth any cut that bleeds is mixed with saliva and makes it appear that it is bleeding more than it really is. On many extractions it is common not to place the patient on an antibiotic as the body helps these areas to heal rapidly. On the outside of the mouth on has to worry more about infection from bacteria all around us.
The saliva has immune response cells for infection in the mouth as well as the mucosa so very little chance of infection if it is totally inside the mouth.
You can't necessarily rule out infections; however the mouth is very protective of cuts. The mouth creates its own antibodies which are very effective in fighting germs. You should notice a steady improvement in the healing, but if there is any relapse, then see a dentist immediately.
Infection is indicated by heat, swelling, and pain in the area. I would monitor your daughter as she heals, and if swelling increases significantly or she begins to show signs of a fever I would return to the clinic for reexamination.
Because of the vast blood supply in the mouth, it would be unlikely to develop an infection. However, the signs of infection would include pain, swelling, and perhaps fever.
Keep it clean and watch.
Salt water rinse for her 4 times a day. If this gets worse instead of improving in the next few days... If she has a fever or swelling of her mouth is worse instead of better, you will need to bring her in to see a dentist.
The signs of infection are: redness, raised temperature, swelling. If the fall took place on the dirty floor, you should definitely observe your child for those signs.
Your daughter should see a dentist to evaluate if any oral problems need attention from this fall. For treatment of this problem or to meet your other dental needs, call the dental office of Dr. Brad Emery, Dr. Nicholas Emery and Dr. Carol Scuro, at 585-247-7110. Or check out our website at www.drsemeryandscuro.com.
Inderpreet Brar
Dentist
Hi there, if there is no swelling or discharge, no infection
The oral cavity is actually a great place for healing. Healing occurs better in the mouth than most places outside the body. As long as the area is clean there is a very low risk of infection. If infection does occur the area will have problems healing, likely look red and irritated, and probably be painful.
Sorry to hear about the fall. We never want our children to hurt. With good oral hygiene, she will be alright. If there is still discomfort, warm salt water a few times a day will help with the pain and help with healing.
She would need to be examined by a doctor.
Sorry to hear that, but there is no medication. Area should be cleaned if it needs to be sutured to close the wound and you can ice pack it. Just have her wash her mouth with warm water and salt few times a day. We can only observe it till it heals.
It is incredibly rare that a small cut inside the mouth get infected. I know that sounds funny because our mouth is teeming with bacteria but saliva has a lot of healing components including heparin that help the mouth heal properly. Think about dogs who lick their wounds. A scab inside the mouth looks yellow because of the wet environment, so a yellow covering is fine. However, if the edges get really red and puffy or you start to see pus leaking out of the cut which would be a yellow or green liquid, then she likely has an infection and should be seen. Good luck!
The most efficient way to do this would be under the lights in a dental office as they would easily spot the reddening from infection, but you'll also notice a heightened temperature. Redness and swelling may accompany an infection and tenderness to touch will also be apparent.
Infection is usually manifested by increased swelling and/or purulent drainage after the cut has healed. There are so many bacteria naturally in the mouth already that cuts in the mouth tend to heal uneventfully. If your daughter exhibits increased swelling on the outside of the mouth, fever, and/or increased pain, then check back with your physician or dentist.
Your daughter should be examined by a Dentist or a Surgeon ASAP to rule out any trauma to teeth or jaw bone, as well as to evaluate the soft tissue cuts and bruises.
Gum lacerations usually heal well without doing anything. It is better to leave them open especially if associated with an external laceration. But, signs of infection would be pain, swelling, redness, exudate or any drainage, and it is not healing like it should.
Wait until it gets swollen
Richard J. Staller
Dentist
Most likely, it is not infected but still painful. I would recommend that it be evaluated as soon as possible!!
