Facial lacerations are commonly encountered problem in trauma and emergency room patients. Soft tissue trauma of the face can cause significant psychological impact. Wound care and the need to minimize scarring is particularly important in this region. There have been many studies evaluating the management of soft tissue injuries in general. For example, simple lacerations of the hand do not benefit from antibiotic therapy. The need for antibiotics for full thickness lacerations of the lip, however, has received little attention. Full thickness lacerations of the lip are defined as wounds that violate the mucosa, underlying muscle and skin (i.e through-and through lacerations). These oral-cutaneous injuries constitute a unique type of injury in that the laceration exposes the skin and underlying soft tissue to microbes of the oral pharynx that are normally encountered only by intact oral mucosa. This represents a uniquely different flora from that typically seen in simple skin lacerations. Because these are contaminated wound, there may be an increased risk for infection and an increased need for prophylactic antibiotics. Currently, there is no consensus on the prophylactic treatment of oral-cutaneous wounds with many physicians prescribing oral antibiotics, others utilizing topical antibacterials, and still others treating with local wound care.