A frenulum (FREN-yuh-lum) is a flap of skin. There are a few in the mouth that connect to the lips and the tongue. A frenulum can tear when a child falls or hits the mouth area. The frenulum connecting the upper lip to the upper gums is the one that most often gets hurt when kids fall.

Frenulum tears usually heal on their own in about a week and don't cause lasting problems. Here's how to keep your child comfortable while the tear heals.

General care:

• Don't lift the lip to check the tear. This can make it bleed.
• For bleeding, put slight pressure on the upper lip with a cloth or gauze.
• For kids 12 months and older, sucking on ice pops or ice chips can help with pain or stop mild bleeding.
• For pain, ask your health care provider if it's OK to give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) as needed for pain. Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old. Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often.
• Remind your child not to pick or chew at any scabs that form.

Diet, for 3–5 days:

• Encourage your child to drink so they stay hydrated. It's OK if they don't want to eat as much as usual.
• Offer soft foods like oatmeal, mashed potatoes, or applesauce.
• Avoid: 
  • Crunchy foods that can scratch the mouth or make crumbs (like crackers or pretzels)
  • Salty, spicy, or citrus foods that sting the cut (like tomato sauce, hot sauce, and oranges)
• Sucking can make the tear bleed more. For older kids, drinking from a cup (without a straw) may help. Babies should continue to breastfeed or drink from a bottle as usual. Afterward, you might notice a little bleeding, which should stop after a minute or two. 
• If thumb-sucking or using a pacifier is making the tear bleed, try to distract your child so they don't want to suck their thumb as much. Try to offer the pacifier less often.

Keep the mouth clean:

• Give your child water after snacks and meals. 
• If your child is old enough to rinse and spit, add a small amount of salt to the water (½ tsp. salt in 1 cup water) and have them rinse after eating.
• Brush the teeth as usual. Help your child avoid the area around the tear.

• The tear is not starting to heal within a few days.
• The tear or the area around it is red, swollen, or very painful.
• Your child gets a fever.
• Your child isn't drinking at all or seems to be dehydrated. Signs include a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, making less pee or darker than usual pee, or crying with little or no tears.

Why do frenulum cuts bleed so much? Cuts in the mouth, especially frenulum tears, bleed a lot because the area has so many blood vessels. Even small cuts in the mouth can bleed a lot.

How does a frenulum tear heal? As a frenulum tear heals, it may develop a white scab. But most frenulum tears heal completely and don't leave a scar.