The Dangers of Human Bites

“Human teeth bites can be as dangerous as or even more dangerous than animal bites because of the types of bacteria and viruses contained in the human mouth” – Mayo Clinic

Discussion Opening of Human Teeth bites

According to Cleveland Clinic, there are two distinct types of human teeth bites. They include; occlusion bites and closed fist bites. Occlusion bites occur when someone else’s teeth sink into your skin with enough force to break through the surface, while closed fist bites occur when someone’s fist makes contact with another person’s teeth, puncturing their hand in the process. This occurs with children and also occurs during fights or sexual intercourse.

While people generally do not consider human bites to be serious, you should promptly request your physician to examine and treat any bite that breaks your skin.

The human mouth contains a vast number of bacteria, that can be harmful when introduced into the body through a bite. Some of these bacteria include; the Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species which can lead to infections when not promptly treated.

If the biter has an infection with viruses like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it can lead to disease transmission when the victim’s skin is broken. Nevertheless, the victim’s blood can also infect the biter.

If a biting incident does occur, the first step to take is to stop the bleeding by using a clean dry cloth to apply pressure to the wound. The second step is to clean out the wound with mild soap and water, pat it dry and cover it with a bandage. If biting occurs in highly sensitive areas like the neck or face, we recommend that you promptly seek the attention of a healthcare provider within 24 hours.

Human teeth bites can incur shocking pain, injury, and psychological trauma, hence we must watch out for a bite attack.