Busted Lip - Bloomington, IN

My son needed stitches on his upper lip when he was 3. They told me to use bacitracin on it. The dr said 5% of people have a reaction to the typical antibiotic ointment. The reaction can cause swelling and make the scar worse. Bacitracin has a much less chance of that happening.

Oh yes, this happened to my 2yr old son a few times unfortunately. The doctor recommended keeping the area clean and giving him popsicles or other icy cold things to suck on. My son loves ice cubes so he sucked on that. I would stay away from food that are acidic thou. This should help her. I never had to use any type of medicated spray or ointment. My son's lip always healed without any problem.

sorry, to hear about that. both my daughter and son busted their lip my daughters teeth practically broke through. the mouth is one of the fasts healing of the body, just wipe her lips when she eats but it will heal. good luck

A rinse with hydrogen peroxide is a good way to draw out any impurities in the area, and it is safe to use on the lips as long as she isn't drinking or swallowing a significant amount of it.

You can bring the swelling down and decrease discomfort by letting her have a popsicle now and then. Stay with the clear frozen liquids as opposed to the creamy ones.

You might also want to try applying a little bit of organic coconut oil to the area. Coconut oil has antibacterial properties, and is the oil that most closely matches the human body's own natural sebum, encouraging healing. It will also keep her lips moist so chapping won't be an issue. Since it's a food product, you won't have to worry about toxicity.

Poor little thing! I hope it heals quickly.

my son had stitches on his lip and they did have me keep it moist with polysporin. They didn't want it to scab over and leave a scar. If her lip is split she may need stitches.

Not much else you can do. She can rinse with salt water, but that might hurt if the sore is still open. Otherwise, may just have to wait and watch.

My little girl did the same thing at the park. She bit 4 (teeth) pretty deep holes into her lip. We rinsed it with cool water when it happened. After that, we just let it heal itself. Saliva will keep it clean & help it heal at a stealth rate. You shouldn't need to do anything more... Good luck!

L.,

My little Kaitlin (19 mos.) just rolled over the footstool and put her bottom tooth through her top lip. I took her to Akron Children's because it was swollen, a bit bloody, and I thought it was through-and-through and needed a stitch. The Dr. gave me a little tube of bacitracin (no stitch needed) and gave her a popsicle to drop the swelling. She's not licking it, so I guess the bacitracin's OK on the face/lip...

I imagine if you just keep it clean it should be ok. My son had stitches on his lip and they didnt get infected. Just keep it clean with soap and water as best as possible and give it time. I wouldnt use any bac or neo because she may ingest it and I dont think it that good for you, though a little probably wont hurt her either. You may however want to get a little tube of lib balm(chapstick or something) just to keep her lips moist while you keep washing them as they may get chapped.
SZ

L.,
Vasaline is the best, and it won't hurt her if she licks at her lip. You could but neosporin on during nap and bedtime, that will help it heal quicker.

When ever my son busts his lip (he's very active and a little clumsy) I give him arnica and a popsicle. You can get homeopathic arnica at Whole Foods, I buy Hylands. I make popsicles from yogurt and fruit or just pureed fruit.

Just keep an eye on it and if it shows signs of infection, call your pediatrician. But I would say that since it's been a day already, it'll probably be fine. If you get too worried, look for a children's hospital urgent care in your area. They charge the same as a co pay at the dr's office and let them check her out or call your pediatrician and get an appointment.