Emergency Treatments For Infection / Pain
Maybe youve had a toothache for several weeks and it seems to have escalated. Or perhaps there is severe sensitivity to hot and cold and the pain is unbearable. Perhaps youve had a gum boil for several months that does not seem to resolve. Or perhaps youve woken up with painful swelling on your gum or the side of your face. Pain and swelling are most commonly the result of inflammation or infection from teeth decay, gum disease, and other pathological conditions. Either way, pain can be severe. Infection-related swelling can spread quickly to other areas of the head and neck and lead to dangerous complications.
If you are experiencing severe pain, swelling of gum tissue or face, drainage, difficulty opening, fever, or redness over the skin, you are most likely having an infection which requires immediate treatment. Call us at 301.654.7070 for an emergency appointment.
Why Calling A Dentist Is Typically The Best Option
Dentists are specifically trained to treat issues related to the mouth, including facial swelling. Not only can you get a proper diagnosis, but you can also begin the treatment you need to stop the emergency from getting worse and get your oral health back on track. With that said, its not unreasonable to assume that a visit to the emergency room would be an appropriate option.
Unfortunately, many emergency rooms are not equipped to handle dental emergencies because they dont have a dentist onsite to diagnose you or provide treatment. As a result, they are likely to give you painkillers and antibiotics, then tell you to visit a dentist anyway. This wastes precious time, money, and does nothing to address the root cause of the emergency in the first place. The only time it would make sense to go to the emergency room first is if your jaw is fractured or dislocated, you have serious cuts or lacerations on the face or mouth, or the infection is affecting your ability to breathe due to heavy swelling.
Facial swelling can not only be very serious, but worsen without the right professional care. If youre experiencing facial swelling, dont wait another moment to call an emergency dentist for help!
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What Should I Do When My Swollen Mouth Hurts
If a swollen face is being caused by a sinus infection, the course of action will depend on the severity and how quickly its getting worse. If swollen cheek pain started as just a mild discomfort or feeling like a toothache but has progressed into more severe symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing, confusion, etc., you need to go see your doctor immediately for antibiotic treatment. There are also some steps that can be taken at home in order to help alleviate the swelling around swollen facial tissue:
Use cold packs Do not use ice directly because this could worsen inflammation if there is any food impaction in swollen mouth
Take ibuprofen/acetaminophen for pain relief
Take your prescribed medication to treat the swollen face
Sleep with the side of swollen cheek pain facing down
Drink lots of fluids and avoid too much sugar Do not drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages
Complications Of Dental Abscess
In rare cases, complications do arise. These can include:
- Cellulitis, an infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues.
- Ludwigâs angina, which occurs when cellulitis spreads into the tissues under the tongue, in the lower jaw and under the chin. It is also known as submandibular cellulitis/submandibular space infection.
- Osteomyelitis, an infection of underlying bone.
- Parapharyngeal abscess, an abscess at the back of the mouth, near the throat. It is caused by staphylococcal and/or streptococcal bacteria. It is most common in children aged five years or younger.
- Cavernous sinus thrombosis, which can occur when the infection spreads into the blood vessels in the sinuses of the head.
These conditions require very urgent medical attention and are best evaluated via a hospital emergency department.
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Prevention Of Future Dental Issues
There are situations that despite a parents best efforts, tooth decay and infection happen. However, its still critical to follow best practices on how to prevent tooth decay in kids teeth including brushing at least twice a day, limiting sugary snacks, and seeing a pediatric dentist on a regular basis so we can prevent any issues, and if issue do arise, they are caught and treated early.
What Should I Do If Swollen Face From Toothache
If swollen cheek pain is being caused by a tooth infection, treatment will be different depending on the severity. Mild infections can often be taken care of at home with natural remedies like oil pulling and cutting down sugar intake to allow healing. For more serious cases where you have swollen face from severe tooth decay or gum disease that has spread into your jaw bone and/or muscles, surgery may need to happen in order for tissue damage to repair itself. Your dentist will usually detect an injury immediately but its important to seek medical attention as soon as possible because swelling around your mouth could also indicate something more serious such as a clotting disorder or sepsis.
Consult with your dentist: If you have a swollen face that doesnt go away or get worse after a day or two, its important to seek out a dental professional and see what they recommend for treatment.
See an oral surgeon if tooth infection is severe: For more serious cases of swollen cheek pain due to tooth decay, gum disease, jaw infections, wisdom teeth coming in prematurely, etc., the best course of action may be surgery. Your dentist will advise on this but most likely your next step would be seeing an oral surgeon about having some form of invasive procedure done near/around swollen facial tissue .
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Treatment For A Tooth Infection
There are many ways for your dentist to treat a tooth infection. The type of treatment depends on several factors, like to what extent the infection has spread, and the initial location of the abscess. Read further as we explain the possible different treatment for a tooth infection.
Root Canal Treatment: It may be necessary to receive a root canal treatment. This can help treat abscesses deep inside the tooth. The procedure requires the dentist to drill into the tooth and remove the pocket of pus and bacteria at the root of the tooth. Once finished, the dentist will fill the space with a material called gutta-percha. After the tooth is healed, the dentist can restore the tooth with a crown, or a filling to prevent an infection from happening again.
What To Do If Your Child Has A Tooth Infection
When a child complains about tooth or mouth pain, parents will quickly do a visual check for the telltale signs of a cavity. However, when it comes to an infected tooth, its sometimes difficult to spot. When and if you do find signs of infection, what exactly do you do if your child has a tooth infection?
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Could Tooth Infection Cause Numbness And Tingling And Swelling In Face
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Ways To Tell If You Are Living With An Infected Tooth
Are you suffering from a debilitating toothache? Perhaps youve noticed a little gum or jaw swelling, or your tooth seems to be a different color? It could be a serious tooth infection.
Your teeth are packed with nerves. Thats why a toothache, though it may only affect one part of your mouth, is excruciating. Whats more, the pain may sometimes be related to a deeper oral health issue.
If your tooth feels sore, sensitive, or youre experiencing sharp pains in your mouth, you may have a tooth infection or a tooth abscess.
Why a tooth becomes infected
There are a number of causes of tooth infections. One of the most common causes is older root canals. When you have a root canal, your dental professional removes a nerve from the affected tooth. Unfortunately, bacteria can grow in that area, leading to an infection that your body struggles to fight off.
Its important to recognize the signs of an infection, so you can seek immediate treatment.
How to tell if your tooth is infected
How to cure a tooth infection
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How To Deal With Swollen Face Due To A Tooth Infection
You are likely to have a swollen face because of tooth abscess. Understand that the tooth abscess is actually an infection of the face, mouth, throat, or jaw and usually begins as a tooth infection. A swollen face from tooth infection requires a dentist’s attention.
1. Treat Tooth Abscess
You will have to talk to your dentist to decide how to treat your tooth abscess. He or she will follow a procedure to clear the infection.
- Your dentist will begin the procedure by making a small incision into the abscess. This helps drain out the pus. The dentist may also use a saline solution to wash the area.
- Your dentist may then decide to perform a root canal. This helps get rid of the infection and save your tooth. The procedure involves drilling down into the tooth to remove affected pulp and drain the abscess. The dentist proceeds by filling and sealing the pulp chamber and root canals. A molar tooth is usually covered with a crown to help maintain its strength.
- In rare cases, your dentist may sometimes recommend the removal of your affected tooth. He or she will drain the abscess and extract the affected tooth.
Whatever the procedure your doctor selects, you are going to get some prescription medications as well. You need to take these antibiotics, especially when the infection has also affected your jaw or nearby teeth. People with a weak immune system also need to take antibiotics.
2. Deal with Swollen Face
The Tooth Infection Is Drained
It may be necessary in some cases to drain the pus directly from the site of infection. Drainage to remove the pus from an abscess at the back of the mouth may happen at your dentist office.
Even though most tooth infections can be easily treated, treatment should never be delayed. Delays in proper treatment can cause the tooth infection to spread to other parts of the body. If a tooth infection spreads, it could become life threatening. Therefore, if you suspect that you have a tooth infection, seek immediate dental treatment. The most effective way to prevent a tooth infection is to have good oral hygiene. Limit your sugar intake, brush your teeth and floss twice daily, and visit your dentist for regular cleanings and exams.
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What Natural Home Remedies Relieve Pain From A Dental Abscess
There are no home remedies for a dental infection once it is present, but it is possible to manage the symptoms of the discomfort and swelling.
- People who have cavities or toothaches can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen or naproxen , as needed for relief of pain and inflammation. As an alternative to or in addition to NSAIDs, acetaminophen may be also taken. These medications may help the pain, but they will not treat the infection. Follow-up with a health care professional is always indicated.
- If an abscess ruptures by itself, warm-water rinses will help cleanse the mouth and encourage drainage. Even then, a follow-up visit to a dentist is important.
- Infectious swelling accompanying a dental abscess is different than inflammatory swelling, and application of ice or cold packs to the area is not recommended.
When Its Time To Call An Emergency Dentist
When facial swelling is relatively minor or infrequent, its likely not considered a dental emergency and does not call for immediate attention. However, if it persists or worsens, you should call an emergency dentist. You should also call if you notice pain that does not improve after a couple days or if the pain begins to intensify. This is an indicator that something very wrong is happening inside your mouth and requires urgent attention.
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When To See Your Dentist
Not all toothaches become serious health concerns. But if youre experiencing a toothache, its best to get treatment before it gets worse.
- fever
- red gums
- pain when chewing or biting
If you have a broken tooth or if a tooth comes out, see your dentist right away.
While youre waiting to see the dentist, you might find relief by:
- avoiding hot or cold drinks and food
- avoiding chewing on the side of the tooth ache
- eating only cool, soft foods
Youre at risk of tooth infection if you dont have good dental hygiene. Take good care of your teeth by:
- brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day
- flossing your teeth at least once a day
- decreasing your intake of sugar
- eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables
If untreated, a tooth infection could potentially travel to other areas of your body, resulting in a potentially life-threatening infection. Signs of a tooth infection spreading to the body may include:
- fever
- increased breathing rate
- stomach pain
Last medically reviewed on May 28, 2019
Tooth Infection With Swollen Face
Ds needs a root canal filling, and on the day he was due to have it done, he developed toothache in that tooth. He told the dentist but she proceeded to start the treatment. However, she found infection so couldn’t continue and simply replaced with a temporary filling – although she had put some antibiotic directly on to the site of the infection. The next day DS’s face was swollen on the one side, so we sent him back to the dentist, who gave him two lots of oral antibiotics, which he has been taking since then . The swelling seems worse that ever today, and you can feel like an abcess in his cheek. His temperature is fine.He doesn’t feel full of life, but is generally ok. Is currently getting ready to go and meet some friends – so clearly can’t be too bad! [hmm)Should I be panicking yet, or will the antibiotics take this time to kick in?
Wasn’t going to offer my experience – which is that I still have a lump and swelling on my gum 2 months on from 3 courses of antibiotics – but maybe my comments are better than none .My face is no longer swollen and I’m waiting for appt at dental hosp for an xray .Tho some doubt now as to whether dentist has sent referral yet .GP doesn’t seem bothered ,pain has subsided .So i guess these things aren’t that much to worry about .If agonising pain suggest dental hospital .Sorry not to be more help .
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Infection Of The Salivary Duct
The ducts that create saliva can be infected by bacteria and is typically found after surgery in the mouth and in the elderly that take medications that slow saliva production.
Rarity: Rare
Top Symptoms: fever, chills, swelling on one side of the face, pain on one side of the face, swollen jaw
Urgency: Hospital emergency room
Symptoms Of A Tooth Infection Spreading To The Rest Of The Body
Did you know that you can die from a toothache? That’s a sobering thought.
Most of the time toothaches are caused by infections that are merely painful inconveniences. But if the infection worsens and spreads to the rest of the body, it can be serious. For a small number of people, it’s even deadly.
To avoid this happening to you, you can simply learn the symptoms of a tooth infection spreading to the body. Then you’ll know when to seek immediate medical attention for your annoying toothache.
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Clinical Manifestations Of Specific Odontogenic Orofacial Space Infections
The local anatomic barriers of bone, muscle, and fascia predetermine the routes of spread, extent, and clinical manifestations of many orofacial infections of odontogenic origin.
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If pus perforates through either the maxillary or mandibular buccal plate inside the attachment of the buccinator muscle, infection will be intraoral if the perforation is outside this muscle attachment, infection will be extraoral . Thus, infection of the upper and lower molars, lower incisors, and lower canine teeth is often accompanied by extraoral manifestations.
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When a mandibular infection perforates lingually, it presents in the sublingual space if the apices of the involved teeth lie above the attachment of the mylohyoid muscle and in the submandibular space if below the attachment of the muscle
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Other superficial odontogenic orofacial space infections include the buccal, submental, masticator, canine, and intratemporal spaces .
Unique clinical presentations of superficial odontogenic orofacial space infections include:
Figure 4.
Buccal space infection demonstrating marked swelling but no trismus or systemic toxicity.
Figure 5.
Canine space infection with dramatic swelling of the upper lip, canine fossa, and eyelid.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Masticator space infection involving the right mandibular 3rd molar, showing marked swelling of the face and neck
Figure 8.
Figure 9.