Bit my tongue

January 14, 2005 12:24 PM

Damn you chicken fajitas!
I bit my tongue really badly last night. [more]
posted by ssmith to Health & Fitness (20 answers total)

More?
posted by Juicylicious at 12:27 PM on January 14, 2005

Response by poster: It wasn't so bad that I had to go to the emergency room or anything, but it was bad enough that I had the pleasure of drinking my own blood for a couple of hours. On the bright side, my tongue now has it's own Mini-me. I managed to gouge out a flap of meat that's about an eighth of an inch long.

Since I can't really put a Band-Aid or some Neosporin on the wound what should I do?
posted by ssmith at 12:27 PM on January 14, 2005

When that happened to me last I just suffered until it went away -- which was a day or two but seemed like an eternity.

It will be interesting to see if there are better solutions as it happens to me more than I'd like.
posted by birdherder at 12:32 PM on January 14, 2005

Fear not--I once read that the mouth is the fastest-healing part of the body. That said, a shot of whiskey would probably help.
posted by scratch at 12:35 PM on January 14, 2005

Response by poster: Sorry i couldn't post the inside quicker Juicylicious. I can't talk as quick as I used to. :-P
posted by ssmith at 12:35 PM on January 14, 2005

gargle salt water?

did it at least taste like chicken?
posted by trondant at 12:37 PM on January 14, 2005

Ice will help soothe the pain.

Rinsing your mouth out with a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution will help keep it clean.
posted by googly at 12:37 PM on January 14, 2005

I second the hydrogen peroxide rinse, it works well for canker sores too.

If you want something stronger, I have used "amosan" to fight mouth sores before. It usually fixed them up within 1 or 2 doses (which is lucky because the stuff tastes a bit like soap). Amosan is marketed as an "oral wound cleanser".

HTH!
posted by shepd at 12:50 PM on January 14, 2005

Peroxyl is a good mouthwash for this type of thing.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:09 PM on January 14, 2005

This probably isn't a good time to be very active. If you can spend the next two days sleeping, so much the better. Got any Vicodin sitting around?
posted by scarabic at 1:30 PM on January 14, 2005

I second the ice for pain, and rinsing regularly with warm salt water or a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide. Avoid sugar, acidic foods, and alcohol. Nix on the Vicodin.
posted by Specklet at 1:46 PM on January 14, 2005

Eat some dirt.
posted by Doohickie at 2:03 PM on January 14, 2005

I actually bit a hole clean through my tongue as a kid. Resist the urge to poke at it every 5 minutes.
posted by 40 Watt at 2:27 PM on January 14, 2005

I second the Peroxyl mouthwash suggestion (it combines peroxide plus nice minty taste) -- I think it's actually made by Colgate, so it shouldn't be too hard to find (I found it at Target). I used it a lot the first week I was home for jaw surgery for the internal stitches and to heal the part of my tongue that (temporarily) got wired in between my teeth when they put my face back together.

Also, dab on some Oragel (or a similar oral anesthetic) to numb it a bit -- it probably won't kill the pain entirely, but it should take the edge off for a couple of hours.
posted by scody at 2:51 PM on January 14, 2005

Protein shakes for food :)
posted by madman at 3:43 PM on January 14, 2005

Best answer: I found this via Google searching for information on tongue piercing, which is sounds like you kinda did in a way:

Aftercare for the 4 - 6 weeks it usually takes tongue piercings to heal is complicated. Key aspects include:

-cleansing the mouth at least a dozen times a day with a diluted mouthwash for one minute, including always rinsing after eating, smoking, and drinking. Avoid using hydrogen peroxide and mouthwashes that are high in alcohol.

- washing hands before touching the piercing (contacting it as little as possible, too)

- sticking to a soft foods diet for the first week after the procedure

- not having any kind of oral sex activity and open mouth kissing for 4 - 6 weeks

-not applying any antibiotics to the site because the ointments, creams, or gels are hard to remove from piercings, which could cause microorganisms to become trapped within them. Instead, a liquid antiseptic oral cleanser used twice a day, on both sides of the piercing, for about a couple of weeks is often recommended.

- sucking on some ice or drinking ice water, which can help with the swelling

- using a warm, low sea salt concentration solution to soak piercings

- going to a health care provider immediately if there's:

-- abnormal or unusual appearance features, such as redness or inflammation that go beyond a quarter-of-an-inch circumference from the piercing

-- thick fluid oozing from the site that's yellow-green in color

-- extensive bleeding

-- a feeling of heat or red streaks radiating from the site

-- persistent or increased tenderness, discomfort, or pain
posted by seymour.skinner at 3:47 PM on January 14, 2005

Response by poster: I may actually eat some dirt later to get rid of the taste of the peroxide. That is, once I find out what it tastes like anyway. Way to go seymour - I never even thought of checking a piercing resource - great idea.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody!
posted by ssmith at 3:53 PM on January 14, 2005

I did the same thing, but worse, a couple years back. Massive chunk bitten out.

It heals by itself eventually. Mine did at least, but I've still got a bit of a scar.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:21 PM on January 14, 2005

Peridex is good for this kind of thing - see if you can't get your dentist to phone in a 'scrip for you.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:17 PM on January 14, 2005

Ibuprofen is good for fighting pain and inflammation. Take it regularly according to the schedule on the label for a few days. Avoid alcohol.
posted by kamikazegopher at 11:52 PM on January 14, 2005