A minor health concern, but a painful one: you’re in the middle of a delicious meal when you chomp down on the inside of your cheek instead of your food! Definitely not a life-threatening injury… but definitely annoying.
There are really only two things you can do for a cheek bite: ease the pain and keep things clean to prevent infection.
- Rinse your mouth out as soon as possible. Plain, clean water works just fine, but if you’re worried about infection you can mix two percent hydrogen peroxide equally with water. If you do go the peroxide route, rinse only once per day — more often than that can irritate the gums and other soft tissues in the mouth. If you want to rinse with plain water more often, go for it.
- If your bite is bleeding, apply gentle pressure. Use your finger (after washing) or a clean piece of gauze to press gently on the bite. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, you may need stitches.
- Apply ice. Cold is a great pain and swelling reliever! Hold a chip of ice near the bite with your tongue. Or, apply the ice from the outside — wrap something cold in a towel and lean your cheek on it.
- Promote good bacteria (instead of bad bacteria). Take acidophilus to help boost your body’s level of healthy bacteria. Acidophilus is usually available at your local drug store (it may be with the vitamins, or the digestive aids, or with the natural remedies).
- Don’t stop brushing. It may hurt the cheek wound, but you need to keep bad bacteria out of your mouth to help prevent infection. Brush your teeth and tongue carefully to keep your mouth clean.
Most of the time, a cheek bite is not a serious injury. If the bite continues to bleed, though, you should give your doctor or dentist a call — your wound may need professional attention.