How to Heal Cuts and Injuries to Gums Quickly and Prevent Recurrence

Treating and Healing Cuts on Your Gums

If you have a painful cut or sore on your gums, it can make eating, drinking, talking, and even smiling uncomfortable. Cuts and lesions in your mouth tend to bleed easily and take time to heal. Luckily there are several effective home remedies and professional treatment options to help relieve gum pain and facilitate healing.

Causes of Gum Cuts and Sores

Some common causes of cuts and injuries to the gums include:

Accidental bites inside the mouth from sharp foods or biting the cheek
Irritation from rough foods like chips, crackers, or toast
Brushing too hard with a stiff toothbrush
Using dental floss incorrectly
Sharp teeth that require filing
Ill-fitting dentures, braces, retainers or other oral appliances
Oral surgery procedures like tooth extractions

Other sources of painful gum lesions not caused by cuts include:

Canker sores
Oral thrush
Mouth ulcers
Viral infections
Oral cancer
Certain vitamin deficiencies

Relieving Gum Pain from Cuts

Before treating a gum cut, first gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water to remove debris and clean the area. To alleviate pain and discomfort from a cut or sore:

Take an over-the-counter oral pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Apply a small ice cube wrapped in cloth to the external area near the sore
Avoid spicy, acidic, salty, or sugary foods and beverages
Stick to soft foods like plain yogurt, eggs, soup, mashed fruits/veggies
Avoid crunchy, sharp, or abrasive foods

Numbing gels and oral pain relief products containing benzocaine can also temporarily relieve pain from gum cuts and lesions while eating and drinking.

How to Treat Minor Gum Cuts at Home

For mild cuts on the gums from biting your cheek or eating abrasive foods, these home remedies can help speed up healing:

Honey - Manuka honey applied directly to the cut has natural antibacterial and wound healing benefits.
Aloe vera gel - The cooling gel from the aloe plant can aid cell turnover and reduce inflammation.
Coconut oil - Provides a protective barrier for the injured gum tissue to prevent infection.
Black tea bags - Soak a black tea bag in warm water, squeeze out excess liquid, and hold it against the sore.

Rinsing with antiseptic mouthwash can also prevent cuts and lesions on the gums from becoming infected as they heal. Just avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes which could sting.

When to See Your Dentist or Doctor

Schedule an oral exam if you experience any of the following:

Bleeding that won’t stop
Intense throbbing pain
Redness and swelling
Pus draining from the cut
Sensitivity to hot or cold foods/drinks
White or red patches inside the mouth
Sore that lasts longer than 2 weeks
Difficulty swallowing or talking
Gum recession near the sore
Feeling like something is caught in your throat

These can indicate an underlying dental health issue or infection needing professional diagnosis and medical treatment.

Professional Treatments for Gum Injuries and Lesions

Based on the evaluation, the dentist or oral surgeon has several options to treat damaged gums and prevent complications:

Medications - Antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal, or steroid medications
Laser therapy - Low-level light beams to stimulate tissue regeneration
Oral surgery - Draining dental abscesses or removing damaged tissue
Biopsy - Sample testing to diagnose complex oral conditions

Following professional treatment for injured gums, continue caring for the area at home. Brush other areas of your mouth gently, floss carefully around sore spots, use medicated mouth rinse, and stick to a soft nutritious diet during recovery.

How Long Does it Take for Gum Cuts to Heal?

Healing times can range dramatically depending on factors like:

Cause - Accidental bite vs ulcer vs viral infection
Location - Front vs back of mouth
Depth and size - Superficial scratch vs deep laceration
Oral hygiene - Good vs poor cleaning habits
Overall health - Younger and fit vs medical conditions
Habits - Smoking and drinking vs non-smoker

With proper at-home care and no complicating factors, minor mouth cuts and lesions should heal within 7-14 days. Deeper injuries or those involving dental infections may take 4 weeks or longer to fully resolve.

Preventing Future Cuts on the Gums

Once your current gum injury heals, make oral care adjustments to avoid problems recurring down the line:

Use an extra soft toothbrush with rounded bristles
Brush gently using minimal pressure
Floss once per day, carefully maneuvering around teeth
Have sharp tooth edges smoothed by your dentist
Wear a mouthguard at night if you grind your teeth
Drink through a straw to minimize food contacting sore areas

Addressing nutrition deficiencies, staying hydrated, quitting smoking, and managing health conditions like oral lichen planus can all help keep your gums and other oral tissues healthy and resistant to lesions in the future too.

The Bottom Line

Cuts and sores on the gums are common minor mouth injuries that can nevertheless cause major discomfort. While some mild incidents may heal on their own within 7-10 days, deeper lesions or those combined with infection require prompt professional dental assessment and treatment.

Practicing excellent daily oral hygiene and taking precautions like wearing a nightguard can help lower risks of recurrent lesions down the road. But accidental cheek bites or irritation from certain foods may happen on occasion despite good prevention habits. Arm yourself with the first-aid know-how to respond to gum cuts properly.

FAQs

What helps heal cuts in your mouth?

Honey, aloe vera gel, coconut oil and black tea bag compresses can help heal minor mouth cuts fast. Antiseptic mouthwash prevents infection while over-the-counter pain relievers reduce discomfort as cuts heal. Avoiding spicy, acidic or crunchy foods prevents further irritation.

Are mouth cuts normal?

It's fairly common to occasionally bite the inside of your cheek or irritate your gums with abrasive foods. But frequent or severe mouth injuries causing bleeding, swelling or lasting more than 2 weeks require examination to identify any underlying conditions.

How do you treat a cut under your tongue?

For cuts in the delicate under-tongue area, rinse carefully with warm saltwater. Apply aloe vera gel or coconut oil to protect the wound. Take OTC pain medication as needed for numbness while eating soft, cool foods. Seek help if symptoms worsen or don't improve in 7 days.

When should I go to the dentist for a cut in my mouth?

You should make an emergency dental appointment right away if bleeding won't stop, you feel throbbing pain or pus, have trouble swallowing, or if the mouth sore lasts beyond 2 weeks. Redness, swelling, white/red patches, or gum recession by a mouth cut may indicate infection.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.