A Traumatic Ulcer Caused by Accidental Lip Biting Following Topical Anesthesia: A Case Report

Lip biting is a very common issue that dentists encounter, particularly with younger children following a dental procedure. Several studies have reported soft tissue injuries, specifically lip biting following dental treatment under local anesthesia, mostly with an inferior alveolar nerve block. However, such injury with topical anesthesia has never been reported in more than 20 years, and literature has not touched on it much. The next generation of dentists can use this case report as a reference when treating young children. Lip biting can be avoided with risk assessment and the right preventative measures; if it does occur, appropriate palliative care must be given to treat it. This case report presents a case of lip biting by a four-year-old child after undergoing a dental restorative procedure under topical anesthesia.