Types of Mouth Injuries

• Cuts of the tongue or inside of the cheeks (due to accidentally biting them during eating) are the most common mouth injury.
• Cuts and bruises of the upper lip are usually due to falls.  A tear of the piece of tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum is very common and always heals without sutures.
• Cuts of the lower lip are usually caused by catching it between the upper and lower teeth during a fall.  Most of these cuts do not connect (don't go through the lip). These do not need sutures unless the outer cut is gaping.
• Potentially serious mouth injuries are those to the tonsil, soft palate, or back of the throat (as from falling with a pencil or toothbrush in the mouth).