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My Niece Bit Her Tongue . Should I Take Her
Question: My niece bit her tongue . Should I take her to the ER? What can I do to help her? This happened earlier today. She is not bleeding anymore but I’m worried because she hasn’t wanted to put her tongue back in her mouth. She is 4 years old.
Brief Answer:
Usually there is no need to do anything
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using Ask a Doctor. Tongue trauma is common, especially in young children, but fortunately rarely causes any serious problems. The main consideration with any laceration of the tongue is whether it needs to be sutured, but studies have shown that suturing tongue lacerations rarely has any benefit. In particular, lacerations less than one centimeter in length that are not gaping would not require sutures.
Otherwise, it will just take time for the wound to heal. In the meantime, you can use cold liquids or ice to help decrease the swelling and help with the pain. It may be best to keep her on a soft diet for the next couple of days to avoid any further trauma to the wound. She should also drink or rinse her mouth with water after eating. Things to watch out for would be signs of infection such as fever, increased pain or swelling.
In your daughter's case, it does not sound like she needs to go to the ER, but it is a little hard to say for sure without seeing her tongue. If you were able to take a picture of her tongue and send it, that might help.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Usually there is no need to do anything
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using Ask a Doctor. Tongue trauma is common, especially in young children, but fortunately rarely causes any serious problems. The main consideration with any laceration of the tongue is whether it needs to be sutured, but studies have shown that suturing tongue lacerations rarely has any benefit. In particular, lacerations less than one centimeter in length that are not gaping would not require sutures.
Otherwise, it will just take time for the wound to heal. In the meantime, you can use cold liquids or ice to help decrease the swelling and help with the pain. It may be best to keep her on a soft diet for the next couple of days to avoid any further trauma to the wound. She should also drink or rinse her mouth with water after eating. Things to watch out for would be signs of infection such as fever, increased pain or swelling.
In your daughter's case, it does not sound like she needs to go to the ER, but it is a little hard to say for sure without seeing her tongue. If you were able to take a picture of her tongue and send it, that might help.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Were you able to see the pictures?
Brief Answer:
Yes
Detailed Answer:
I see them now,
I apologize if they were there before and I missed them.
I don't see any deep laceration that would need to be sutured and I think this wound will heal without any problems. There is some swelling, so like I mentioned before, I would use cold as much as possible for the next few days, and try to keep it as clean as possible (by using water after eating).
It does look like it would be very painful, so you may need to use Tylenol or Ibuprofen to help with the pain. Again, if you start to see a fever or worsening pain or swelling, an infection may be developing and you would need to see a doctor in person.
I hope she is starting to feel better and is able to keep her tongue inside her mouth and hopefully can handle a soft diet.
Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.
Yes
Detailed Answer:
I see them now,
I apologize if they were there before and I missed them.
I don't see any deep laceration that would need to be sutured and I think this wound will heal without any problems. There is some swelling, so like I mentioned before, I would use cold as much as possible for the next few days, and try to keep it as clean as possible (by using water after eating).
It does look like it would be very painful, so you may need to use Tylenol or Ibuprofen to help with the pain. Again, if you start to see a fever or worsening pain or swelling, an infection may be developing and you would need to see a doctor in person.
I hope she is starting to feel better and is able to keep her tongue inside her mouth and hopefully can handle a soft diet.
Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
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