Go to a hospital emergency department immediately if facial or neck swelling comes with difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, swelling that is spreading towards the eye or down the neck, or a high fever with feeling very unwell. These can be signs of a spreading infection that needs urgent hospital care.
Waking up with one side of your face swollen can be frightening. Perhaps a tooth ached the day before; now your cheek is puffy and sore. It is tempting to wait and hope it settles, but facial or gum swelling usually means there is an infection in or around a tooth, and infections need treatment, not waiting.
What causes a swollen face or gums?
Most dental swelling is caused by bacteria. An infection can start inside a tooth, through deep decay or a crack, or in the gum around it. As bacteria multiply, a pocket of pus (an abscess) can form, and the surrounding tissue becomes inflamed. The swelling may start in the gum and then spread into the cheek, the jaw or under the chin.
Common causes include:
- A dental abscess: infection inside a tooth that has reached the root tip.
- Untreated tooth decay that has reached the nerve.
- A cracked or broken tooth that lets bacteria in.
- Gum infection (a periodontal abscess) from long-standing gum disease.
- A wisdom tooth that is partly through the gum and hard to clean (pericoronitis).
- Food trapped between the teeth or under the gum, causing local irritation.
- An injury to the mouth or jaw.
How do you know if it is serious?
Not all swelling is an emergency, but some signs mean you should get help the same day:
- Severe pain, or pain that keeps getting worse
- Swelling that is growing over a few hours
- Difficulty opening your mouth fully
- Fever or feeling generally unwell
- A bad taste or pus in the mouth
And, as above, go to an emergency department straight away if you have any difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling under the tongue or down the neck, or swelling that is closing the eye.
Why you should not wait
A dental infection cannot heal on its own while its source, such as an infected nerve or a deep gum pocket, is still there. It can spread into the tissues of the face and neck, into the jawbone and, rarely, into the bloodstream. At that point a dental problem has become a medical one. Treated early, most dental infections are straightforward to deal with.
What you can do right now
While you arrange to see a dentist:
- Rinse with warm salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water) a few times a day.
- Apply a cold compress wrapped in a cloth to the outside of the cheek for 15 minutes at a time. Do not apply heat, which can encourage the infection to spread.
- Take an over-the-counter painkiller if you can safely do so, following the dose on the pack.
- Eat soft food, chew on the other side, and drink plenty of water.
- Do not take leftover antibiotics or start antibiotics without a prescription.
- Do not try to burst a swelling yourself.
These steps relieve discomfort, but they do not remove the infection.
How a dentist treats dental swelling
The dentist will examine the area and usually take an X-ray to find the source. The aim is always to remove the cause of the infection. Depending on what is found, treatment may include:
- Draining the abscess to relieve pressure and pain
- Root canal treatment to remove the infected nerve and save the tooth
- Tooth extraction if the tooth cannot be saved
- Deep cleaning of an infected gum pocket
- Antibiotics, when the infection is spreading or you have a fever, alongside the treatment above rather than instead of it
Dental emergency care in Wakad
If you have tooth pain with swelling, call either Dentique clinic in Wakad. Both are open every day from 10 am to 9 pm, and we see urgent swelling cases the same day. We are close to Hinjewadi, Tathawade, Punawale and Pimple Saudagar. If your swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, go to the nearest hospital emergency department first.
Most swelling starts with a problem that could have been treated much earlier. Regular check-ups catch decay and gum disease before they become painful; see our guide to preventive dentistry habits. If gum disease is the cause, read gum disease signs, stages and treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Will the swelling go down on its own?
Sometimes swelling reduces for a while, especially if pus drains, but the infection usually remains and flares up again. The source has to be treated.
Should I use a hot or cold compress for a swollen face?
Cold, applied to the outside of the cheek. Heat can draw the infection outwards and make the swelling worse.
Can I just take antibiotics?
Antibiotics may be prescribed when an infection is spreading, but on their own they rarely solve a dental infection, because the source is still there. They should only be taken when prescribed.
Is a swollen face from a tooth an emergency?
Any facial swelling from a tooth should be seen by a dentist promptly, ideally the same day. Swelling with difficulty breathing or swallowing is a medical emergency; go to a hospital.
Book a visit at Dentique, Wakad
Dentique – Mankar Chowk
Shop No. 7, Sonigara Laurel, Ground Floor, beside Sujata Mastani, Mankar Chowk, Kaspate Wasti, Wakad, Pune 411057
Phone: +91 79039 45606 · Get directions
Dentique – Pink City Road
Shop No. 9, Palash Plus, Pink City Road, opposite Gold’s Gym, Wakad, Pune 411057
Phone: +91 97428 07286 · Get directions
Open Monday to Sunday, 10 am – 9 pm · Email: dentique.smiles@gmail.com · Book an appointment online
This article is general information and does not replace a dental examination. If you have pain, swelling or other symptoms, please see a dentist.