Swelling of the cheek after dental treatment: causes and methods of treatment

Why did gumboil appear after dental treatment?

Swelling of the gums indicates the occurrence of an inflammatory process, which caused the complication. If painful sensations are observed against the background of the tumor, the main reasons for this may be:

1. Periodontal inflammation. The tumor is observed on both cheeks, but pronounced swelling occurs only on the infected side.
2. Neglected teeth, improper placement of fillings. Before swelling occurs, pain occurs. After 2-3 days, a flux with pus may form.
3. Incorrect development of wisdom teeth. A hood forms from the mucous membrane, in which food particles accumulate and become inflamed.
4. Removal of a tooth. Due to mechanical damage to the tissue, swelling can be considered normal.
5. Cyst. The inflammatory process lasts for 1.5-2 years and injures the periosteum. The pathology occurs against a background of severe pain.

Attention! Swelling of the cheek after dental treatment can develop due to infection in the socket, which not only causes discomfort and swelling, but can also lead to more serious consequences.

If there is no pain during swelling, the reasons for this are as follows:

• allergic reaction to anesthesia, dental materials (swelling sometimes affects the entire face);
• removal of the nerve: part of the nerve may remain in the canals; after installation of the filling, flux appears;
• dissection of the gums, extracted tooth (in these cases, swelling is normal);
• infectious inflammation of the lymph in children, accompanied by aches and fever;
• neurological diseases accompanied by swelling, congestion in the ears, sore throat, weakness.

Important! In the case of severe pathologies of internal organs, the drainage of fluid is often disrupted; as a result, it accumulates in the nose, cheeks, neck, cheekbones and near the eyes.

What does flux look like?

It is of infectious origin, the process occurs against the background of inflammation of the body of the jaw or in the periosteum. Flux is formed not only after dental surgery, but also after furunculosis or tonsillitis. If the cheek and gums are swollen, there is throbbing or mild pain, in advanced stages pus may appear and the temperature may rise. On the upper jaw, the flux covers the lip, cheek, gum and nasolabial area. In addition to the face, the infection often spreads to the neck.

Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs are used for treatment. After using topical medications, you should not eat or drink liquids for 2 hours.

When to see a doctor

Often this symptom tells us that not everything in our body is as good as we would like. Make an appointment with your doctor if:

• you have swelling, but no toothache. Usually this phenomenon occurs after pulpitis, when the doctor has not completely cleaned the canals. Due to the fact that the nerves are no longer there, there simply cannot be pain. The cheeks and gums, which are very swollen and painful, will tell you about the problem;
• Clinical signs include shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. This may indicate the presence of allergies in the body;
• intense pain in the socket area. Symptoms should, at least gradually, subside;
• fever, which is accompanied by general malaise. This may indicate the presence of intoxication in the body;
• strong odor from the mouth. Most likely you will need to clean the hole from the accumulation of pus;
• pain when swallowing, jaw movements began to bring discomfort;
• swelling occurred three days after the intervention, which is often observed with alveolitis.

You shouldn’t deal with complications on your own and put off visiting a doctor, especially if your condition is getting worse every day.

Swelling on the inside of the cheek

Anesthesia makes tooth extraction easier. But, if after treatment of a tooth your cheek is swollen, you should find out the origin of the pathology. You may need treatment for your gums. Discomfort appears in many patients after depulpation. Pain and swelling on the inside of the cheek can be observed from 2 hours to 7 days. If discomfort intensifies or occurs 2 days after surgery, you should immediately consult a dentist.

If, after removing the nerve, in addition to painful sensations, the gums become inflamed, purulent discharge appears, and the temperature rises, you should visit a dentist. He will find out why the cheek is swollen and how to remove the gumboil.

Attention! You cannot take painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs before consulting a doctor; this will complicate the diagnosis, which will not allow you to prescribe adequate treatment.

What to do if swelling appears after treatment at the dentist

If after tooth extraction your cheek is swollen from the tooth, there is no need to worry - this is a normal reaction. You can take a pain reliever that your dentist recommends. When a pathological condition is accompanied by pain and weakness, the temperature should be measured.

Edema does not always indicate a complication; it is worth distinguishing a simple reaction of the body from a pathological condition. Don't worry if:

• the flux disappears 3 days after surgery;
• the swelling is not pronounced and does not increase in size;
• no temperature or it does not exceed 37.5 degrees;
• the pain is aching, slight, gradually goes away, eliminated with analgesics;
• in the hole there is a bloody dense clot, which is covered with fibrous tissue within 2-3 days.

On a note! Do not apply hot lotions to the injured area, release pus yourself, or massage the gums. This will provoke further development of the infection, which will lead to serious consequences.

The following symptoms indicate complications:

• the flux grows;
• there is severe pain that cannot be relieved with analgesics;
• tension together with surgery;
• temperature over 37.5-37.6 degrees;
• it hurts to swallow, speak, open your mouth;
• there is no blood clot in the hole or it is covered with a green, gray or yellow coating;
• unpleasant odor from the mouth;
• itching, hyperemia, shortness of breath - indicate an allergic reaction.

Attention! If you have any of the symptoms, you should consult your doctor. Such signs indicate infection. If an operation was performed, the treatment is carried out by a dental surgeon or an endodontist if the root canals were cleaned.

Remedies for eliminating swelling after tooth extraction

The factors that determine how long it takes for swelling to subside after tooth extraction (over time) include the quality of the rehabilitation period. To avoid infection, the doctor washes the hole with antiseptic solutions, and in case of a more extensive intervention, administers antibiotics (Ceftriaxone, Oxamp, Ofloxacin and others). Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed in the following days. If the patient has a weakened immune system, it is recommended to take vitamins. If, a few days after removal, negative symptoms increase, there is no need to self-medicate and drink handfuls of painkillers: they will not eliminate the problem and can negatively affect your health. After the extraction procedure, the patient must be aware and follow a number of necessary measures that will help to recover faster and avoid complications.

• Remove the tampon no earlier than half an hour after tooth extraction.
• You can eat warm and soft food only after 3-4 hours. You should not chew on the side where the surgery was performed.
• It is not recommended to eat solid, as well as too hot and cold foods for 10-12 days after tooth extraction.
• Hygiene must be very careful, especially in the first days. You should not brush the area around the operation so as not to destroy the blood clot. You also need to be careful when rinsing.
• Quit alcohol and tobacco (preferably for the entire period of rehabilitation).
• You need to avoid physical activity for at least a week and avoid visiting the sauna and swimming pool.

Publisher: Expert magazine about dentistry Startsmile.ru

Author of the material: Yaroslav Ikonnikov

When does swelling of the cheek go away?

How long the swelling lasts after tooth treatment depends on the degree of damage. Swelling causes injury to tissues, ligaments, and blood vessels during surgery or root removal. After such an intervention, swelling is normal. It can last from 2 hours and last for 7 days or the first day after surgery. There are no painful sensations.

Swelling after surgery on a wisdom tooth can last 4 days longer and persists for 11 days. If the surgery was serious, a bruise may form on the cheek. Pronounced swelling, increasing every day, pain is a reason to urgently consult a dentist.

Clinical picture

A clear sign of gumboil is a lump on the gum with purulent contents. Before its formation, the disease makes itself felt by throbbing pain in the tooth. Symptoms of the pathology are also:

• swelling and redness of the gums,
• swelling of the cheek or lip,
• enlarged lymph nodes,
• pain when opening the mouth and swallowing,
• discomfort when pressing on a tooth,
• increase in body temperature,
• excessive weakness
• decreased appetite.

If you detect at least one of the listed signs of flux, you should contact the dentist. You should not warm the sore spot with a warm compress, take antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, or open an abscess at home.

How to treat gumboil on the cheek

Once a tumor develops, antibiotics are often indispensable. The dentist selects them taking into account the stage of the pathology and the characteristics of the body. Antibiotic therapy should be completed to the end, otherwise further treatment will be greatly complicated.

If surgery is required, all activities are carried out in a dental clinic. For any complication, the patient is given local or general anesthesia. The gum is incised and the accumulated pus is completely pumped out. A drainage is placed to quickly remove fluid. The patient is prescribed antibiotics to allow the soft tissues to recover faster. In case of severe damage, the gum is sutured. In the absence of complications, this is not required.

How to remove swelling from the gums through surgery:

1. In case of complicated flux, urgent hospitalization in a dental clinic and an operation performed by a dental surgeon are necessary.
2. If an inflammatory process is diagnosed due to dental problems, endodontic therapy (cleaning and filling the canals) or root removal will be required.
3. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed to treat infection in many situations. In case of serious complications, combination drugs are used to treat severe swelling, selected taking into account the sensitivity of the pathogens.
4. Surgical treatment - incision of the abscess (on the face and oral cavity - the incision is made in both areas), removal of purulent discharge, treatment with disinfectants, installation of drainage. In severe cases, general anesthesia is used.
5. Additional therapy - analgesics to eliminate discomfort, antipyretic drugs, large amounts of fluid (if necessary, fluid is introduced into the body by infusion during hospitalization).

Chronic pathology often occurs without pronounced symptoms, pus appears gradually. In this situation, the dentist uses a therapeutic approach, both surgical and conservative. Surgery can be replaced with herbs or antibiotics, or used as an additional treatment after consultation with a specialist.

Swelling of the cheek does not always indicate the presence of a serious pathology.
A tumor after depulpation is normal and does not require serious treatment. When the gumboil gradually grows, pain is observed against this background, and the help of a dentist is required. In case of serious complications, surgical intervention while taking antibiotics is indicated. The doctor's consultation