Heal a Cut in Your Mouth

Cuts in the mouth can occur from brushing your teeth, eating, biting the inside of your mouth, and having dental braces. Most cuts are minor and will heal on their own. However, they can be painful or turn into white sores. To heal a cut in your mouth, gargle with salt water, use an ointment, or try a natural antibacterial agent.

Steps

Stopping the Bleeding

  1. Rinse the mouth. If the cut in your mouth is bleeding, start by rinsing your mouth with cool water. Swish the water around in your mouth, making sure to swish it around the area with the cut. This helps remove the blood and help to stop the bleeding.[1]
  2. Apply pressure. If rinsing your mouth doesn’t stop the bleeding, you can apply pressure to the cut with a piece of gauze. Gently press against the cut for a few minutes to stop the bleeding.[2]
  3. Use a cold compress. Pressing a cold compress or ice against the bleeding cut can also help stop the bleeding. Wrap the ice in a cloth and put it against the cut. This helps reduce inflammation and constrict the blood vessels, which will help stop the bleeding.[2]

Healing the Wound

  1. Use an ointment. You can buy antibiotic ointments that are made to treat oral sores. These ointments will not only help heal the cut, but many also contain pain relievers. They can also reduce swelling at the site of the wound.[3]
    • When using oral ointments, make sure to read the directions carefully.
  2. Gargle with salt water. Using salt water is one of the most common ways to heal a mouth cut. Mix a teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Swish the solution around in your mouth, making sure you pay close attention to the area with the cut.[4]
    • Salt has antiseptic properties that can clean the cut.[5]
  3. Use honey. Honey is an antibacterial and antiseptic substance that can help boost the immune system.[6] Applying honey onto the cuts in your mouth can help kill bacteria, heal the wound, and reduce pain. Place raw honey onto the cut once each day.[7]
  4. Try apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties.[8] This can help kill any bacteria in the cut and help promote healing. Dab apple cider vinegar on the cut twice each day until it is healed.[3]
  5. Make a baking soda paste. Baking soda has antibacterial properties.[9] This can help kill bacteria in the cut in your mouth and promote healing. Make a paste with one teaspoon of baking soda and water. Place the paste on the cut two to three times each day.[7]
    • You can also try brushing your teeth with the baking soda paste, but avoid brushing the wounded area or else you may hurt it and cause it to start bleeding again.

Reducing Pain

  1. Avoid spicy or hard foods. Certain foods may irritate the cut in your mouth. Don’t eat anything that is extremely spicy or salty, since this can sting and cause pain. You should also avoid eating hard or dry foods. Instead, eat soft foods that won’t irritate the tissues in your mouth.[10]
    • You can try to eat dairy products such as ice cream, tender meats, and cooked vegetables.
    • Avoid acidic foods, like tomatoes and citrus fruits.
  2. Stay hydrated. By drinking a lot of fluids, you will keep your mouth wet. A dry mouth can cause pain and irritate the cut in your mouth. Avoid beverages that may cause pain, like citrus fruit juices or acidic beverages.[11]
    • You should avoid alcoholic beverages because they can cause burning.
  3. Stay away from mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Don’t rinse with mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they may damage the wounded tissues in your mouth and inhibit the healing process. Instead, try rinsing with hydrogen peroxide if you have a mouth sore.[3]
    • If you want to gargle with a mouthwash, use only non-alcoholic ones.
  4. Limit the movement of your mouth. You can’t stop talking and using your mouth, but be more careful with the way you use your mouth while a cut is healing. Don’t open your mouth too wide. This can pull on the tissues inside of the mouth and open the cut again or delay the healing process.[7]
  5. Use wax to prevent cuts and reduce pain if you have braces. Apply orthodontic wax to the sharp outer areas of your brackets that tend to irritate the inside of your mouth. This will reduce your pain by limiting the irritation on the cut and will also prevent future cuts.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://woundcaresociety.org/heal-cuts-mouth
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/conditions/dental-emergencies-and-sports-safety/article/traumatic-injuries-of-the-lips-and-tongue
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://woundcaresociety.org/put-cut-inside-mouth
  4. ↑ http://woundcaresociety.org/heal-cuts-mouth
  5. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16943065
  6. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609166/
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/how-to-heal-cut-in-mouth.html
  8. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1785201/
  9. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12017929
  10. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/mouth-and-dental-injuries-home-treatment#1
  11. ↑ https://www.oncolink.org/support/side-effects/mucositis/mucositis-mouth-sores-oral-care-tip-sheet

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