Yesterday I put my straw in my mouth and reached down to grab my drink, accidentally hitting and shoving the straw back into my mouth. I think the straw cut my cheek near the back of my mouth and also cut my lingual frenulum. My questions are: how long will this take to heal? And is there a way I can speed up the healing process? I have a dentist appointment next week so it would be really helpful if I knew what to do. Thanks.
Hello, It looks like there has been a tear in the mucosa of the cheek as well as lingual frenulum due to hitting with the straw. Do not worry as it will heal gradually on its own as there is profound blood supply inside mouth. For speeding up the recovery or avoiding infection you can apply Chlorohexidine gel over it. If there is pain, you can apply McCoppin gel over it or other compositions containing Xylocaine or Choline Salicylate. Do warm saline gargles. Avoid any spicy and hard or sharp foods as they can cause further injury. Also, suck ice pops. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.