Dental emergency
Soft-tissue injury (cut lip, tongue, cheek)
Mouth wounds bleed dramatically — but heal fast.
First 30 minutes
Do this right now
Rinse the mouth gently with cool water. Apply firm pressure with clean gauze for 10–15 minutes. Use a cold compress on the outside to reduce swelling. If bleeding stops and the cut is under 1 cm and edges meet, no stitches are needed. Larger cuts, through-and-through wounds, or bites through the lip need same-day dental or ER assessment.
Find nearest emergency dentistDo
- Firm pressure with clean gauze, 10–15 min
- Cold compress outside
- Rinse gently with salt water
- Soft diet for 48 hours
Don't
- Don't spit repeatedly (dislodges the clot)
- Don't scrub the wound
- Don't ignore a wound that gapes open
When to go to the ER instead
Go to the ER if bleeding won't stop after 15 min of pressure, if the wound is deep or gaping, or if there's a puncture through the lip/cheek.
What happens at the dentist
Small lacerations rarely need stitches; larger ones may need suturing under local anaesthesia.
Related treatments
Other emergencies
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
Severe toothache
Pain that wakes the child up = same-day dental visit.
Dental abscess with swelling
Facial swelling from a tooth is an emergency — same-day, no exceptions.
Broken bracket, wire or aligner
Rarely urgent — usually a next-day fix.
Tooth pushed into the gum (intrusion)
A tooth driven into the bone — see a dentist immediately.
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