Emergency Case

Dental Injury / Soft Tissue

Expert emergency care in South Kensington. Same-day appointments available.

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Same-Day Available

15+ Years Experience

Soft tissue injuries involve trauma to the lips, tongue, inner cheeks, or gums. The mouth is extremely vascular (full of blood vessels), which means that even a small cut can bleed profusely and look terrifying. While many of these injuries look worse than they are, some require professional attention to stop bleeding, prevent infection, and ensure cosmetic healing.

This category also includes orthodontic emergencies, such as broken brace wires tearing into the cheek, which can be agonizingly painful.

First Aid for Mouth Injuries

Rinse

Gently rinse with cold water to clean the wound and see where the blood is coming from.

Pressure

Apply firm pressure to the bleeding site with a clean gauze or handkerchief for at least 10-15 minutes. Do not keep checking it; constant pressure is key to clotting.

Ice

Apply a cold compress to the outside of the lip or cheek to reduce swelling and bruising.

Assessment

If the cut is deep, gaping, or crosses the vermilion border (the lip line), you may need stitches (sutures).

Professional Treatments We Provide

Suturing (Stitches)

For deep lacerations inside the mouth or on the gums, we can place dissolvable sutures. This stops the bleeding, speeds up healing, and prevents food from getting stuck in the wound. We use fine, cosmetic-grade sutures for minimal scarring.

Smoothing Sharp Teeth

Sometimes a trauma doesn't break a tooth but chips a jagged edge that shreds the tongue. We can polish this sharp edge smooth in seconds, providing instant relief.

Orthodontic Emergencies

If you have braces and a wire has snapped or slipped, it can act like a needle stabbing your cheek. This is difficult to fix at home. We can:

Clip the sharp wire using specialist cutters.
Re-bond a loose bracket.
Apply professional orthodontic wax to cover irritations.

Treating Gum Trauma

Foreign objects (like popcorn husks, fish bones, or fingernails) can sometimes get forcefully wedged deep into the gum, causing an acute periodontal abscess. We can numb the area and gently flush out the debris to relieve the pain and prevent infection.