Swelling of the cheeks: causes of inflammation on the inside

Causes of swelling on the cheek

Many people believe that only teeth can provoke swelling of the cheeks. In fact, the reasons may be different.

Dental diseases

Factors related to oral health can provoke the problem. Among them:

Eruption of impacted wisdom teeth, especially if the patient is over 25 years old. If the growth is abnormal, it is recommended to remove the “eight”.
Stomatitis affecting the cheek, gums, tongue. The disease is most often diagnosed in children, but it can also occur in adults. An advanced disease provokes swelling. The cheek hurts from the inside, in the corner of the mouth.
Gum disease, in which pathogenic bacteria accumulate in dental plaque, causing inflammation. Thus, gingivitis is accompanied by bleeding gums, swelling, and bad breath. If the disease is neglected, it will develop into periodontitis, a more serious problem.

Complications in the form of swelling of the cheek can develop after endodontic treatment. If during the procedure the canals are not washed and cleaned well enough, inflammation develops in the pulp chamber. The pathogenic process spreads to the bone, gum and cheek. This is how purulent periostitis develops, which is popularly called “flux”. If the disease is not treated in time, phlegmon and sepsis may develop, which pose a health hazard.

During the recovery period after tooth extraction, swelling of the cheek may also be observed. More often the symptom appears if the intervention was performed on the lower jaw. This problem often arises after implantation. This is the body's reaction to traumatic actions. It goes away in a few days. Otherwise, you need to consult a dentist, who must confirm or rule out the presence of a complication. It can develop due to infection getting into the wound, which threatens the manifestation of peri-implantitis.

Infectious, colds and other diseases

Cheek swelling is one of the symptoms of such diseases:

Parotitis. When the disease occurs, the salivary glands become inflamed, which explains why soft tissues swell.
Lymphadenitis. It occurs as an independent disease or as a complication of other ailments, such as diseases of the ENT organs. With lymphadenitis, the cervical, parotid and submandibular lymph nodes become enlarged, and the cheek becomes inflamed.
Otitis, sinusitis, sinusitis. The inflammatory process can spread to the cheek, under the eye, and the area near the nose.

Pathological processes in gingival tissues often provoke inflammation of the salivary ducts and glands. It can also be an independent disease. It is caused by stones in the ducts, cysts, tumors.

The mucous membrane also swells with inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. In this case, other symptoms appear: numbness, pain radiating to the ear, “lumbago”. Swelling is a common occurrence in diseases of internal organs. Excess fluid due to malfunction of one or another organ accumulates in soft tissues, including the facial area.

Other causative factors

Swelling can also appear as a result of injury. This symptom accompanies soft tissue bruises, joint dislocations, and jaw fractures, which can be caused by a blow or fall. Children are more often susceptible to injury due to their excessive physical activity. Swelling can occur due to an allergic reaction, when the body shows immunity to a certain product. Other reasons:

severe burn (both thermal and chemical);
insect bites, which also cause redness and induration;
poor oral hygiene.

Cheek swelling can occur in pregnant women. The fact is that during this period hormonal changes occur in the body. As a result, the gums swell, which is reflected on the cheek.

Inflammation of the periosteum of the tooth: treatment

Periostitis of the lower and upper jaw requires almost the same treatment, despite some differences in symptoms and localization of lesions. Moreover, complex therapy will be required, which will quickly eliminate the infectious-inflammatory focus and prevent relapses:

Surgery. Opening the purulent sac with removal of the contents and thorough cleaning of residual pus is a mandatory procedure in this case. The intervention is performed under local anesthesia. At the initial stage of the disease (with its serous form), it is possible to do without surgical intervention. In this case, the doctor carries out endodontic treatment (depulpation, cleaning and treatment of root canals, antibacterial therapy).
Drug therapy. Prescribing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs to eliminate inflammatory phenomena (swelling, hyperemia, fever, pain) and infection.
Physiotherapeutic procedures. Iontophoresis, ultrasound or laser therapy, electrophoresis, paraffin therapy - all these procedures are usually aimed at resolving compactions formed as a result of the pathological process. As a rule, physiotherapy is used for chronic forms of the disease, but in some cases it can be used in the complex treatment of acute purulent forms.

Antibiotics for inflammation of the periosteum of the tooth are prescribed during the treatment process; they are necessary to eliminate the bacterial infection, which is one of the causes of the development of the purulent-inflammatory process. The doctor selects medications based on the severity of the disease, the general condition of the patient’s body and the possible presence of concomitant diseases. Along with antibiotics for periostitis of the jaw, antihistamines (antiallergic) are also prescribed as treatment, which can reduce the drug load on the immune system, as well as calcium supplements.

The success of treatment largely depends on the patient’s timely visit to the doctor and the effectiveness of the therapy itself. And if in the first case everything depends on the patient - his conscious attitude towards his own health, then in the second the success of treatment is completely determined by the qualifications and experience of the dentist to whom the patient turned. A competent specialist with extensive clinical experience will quickly and successfully cope with even such a complex disease, while an amateur can further aggravate the problem. Therefore, choosing a good specialist is important here - these are the specialists who work at the 32 Dent clinic. Our doctors have extensive experience in successfully treating any purulent-inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity, including periostitis.

Symptoms of illness

Depending on the cause, symptoms may vary from case to case. More often with edema, the following symptoms appear:

swelling on the cheek;
pain in the causative area;
difficulties in controlling facial expressions;
inflammation of the mucous membrane.

It is important to monitor swelling. If it increases, medical attention is required. Reasons to urgently consult a doctor also include increased body temperature, general weakness, purulent discharge from the gums, loss of appetite, numbness and sagging cheeks.

Swelling of the cheek on the inside: what to do

How to remove swelling of the cheek? Depending on the degree of manifestation of the unpleasant symptom and the etiology, different treatment methods are used. Their success depends on the correct diagnosis.

When swelling occurs after dental implantation, ice should be applied to the sore cheek. You need to rinse your mouth lightly. It is important to maintain hygiene, diet and spare the postoperative wound.

Drug treatment

The doctor prescribes medications taking into account the clinical picture and the causes of swelling after a comprehensive diagnosis. You may need:

"Miramistin" and "Chlorhexidine" - for rinsing;
"Suprastin" is an antihistamine;
"Nimesil" is an anti-inflammatory drug;
“Amoxiclav”, “Lincomycin” are antibiotics that are prescribed for acute purulent periostitis.

How to relieve the pain accompanying the causative disease? Hexoral solution or spray or Lidocaine Asept aerosol can help. The painful syndrome in a child is relieved with the help of products that are used during teething, for example, Dentinox.

In some cases, conservative treatment is not enough, so surgical techniques are used. If there is suppuration, the doctor opens the gum, exposes the cavity with pus and installs drainage to drain the exudate. Surgery is also performed in the presence of a neoplasm.

How to treat

If it is not possible to immediately seek medical help, but the tumor still causes discomfort and bothers you, folk remedies will help improve your condition:

Kalanchoe. Soak a cotton swab in freshly squeezed juice of a houseplant and apply it to the inside of your cheek for 30-40 minutes. During the day, the procedure can be repeated up to 4 times.
Aloe. The plant juice is used in the same way as the previous recipe.
Salt and baking soda. Dissolve 0.5 tsp in a glass of warm boiled water. these funds. Rinse your mouth with the resulting solution every 2-3 hours.
Calendula. Prepare an infusion: pour boiling water (0.75 l) over 3 flowers, leave for 2 hours and rinse your mouth as often as possible. An alternative to calendula can be an infusion with St. John's wort (2 tablespoons of the plant per 1 tablespoon of boiling water).
Sage and chamomile. Their decoction is used to rinse after every meal. Prepared: 1 tbsp. l. Pour 250 ml of boiling water over each plant, leave for 3 hours, strain.
Propolis. If the inflammation is local, it is recommended to cover the affected area with propolis and hold it for at least an hour.
Iodine. Dilute 5 drops of the drug in 200 ml of water, add 1 tsp. salt and stir well. Rinse your mouth with the solution every 2-3 hours.
Collection of medicinal herbs. 10 g of yarrow, 10 g of oak bark, 5 g of sage, pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Use the prepared infusion to rinse your mouth throughout the day.

Important: all of the recipes listed will help reduce swelling and relieve pain, but they are not able to eliminate the cause itself. All these remedies can only be used as adjuvant therapy.

Only a qualified specialist can identify the exact cause of gum changes and prescribe appropriate treatment. If there are no serious diseases associated with the functioning of internal organs and their systems, then first of all, drugs that relieve tumors are prescribed.

If swelling is accompanied by active inflammation, it is recommended to take an anti-inflammatory drug, for example, Nimesil. To relieve pain, one of the anesthetics may be prescribed: Ibuprofen, Ketorol, Ketanov.

If the pathology was caused by an allergic reaction, then antihistamines are used in treatment: Suprastin, Erius, Tavegil, Diazolin. To treat the mouth, antiseptics are prescribed in the form of Miramistin and Chlorhexidine solutions.

In difficult cases, antibiotics (usually the penicillin group) are prescribed, which in a short period of time stabilize the condition, relieve pain and return the face to its previous appearance: “Amoxiclav”, “Biseptol”, “Lincomycin”.

We know what to do when teeth become loose. You can read a useful article on the next page. From the published review: https://dentist-pro.ru/lechenie/zuby/kista/kakie-simptomy-svidetelstvuyut.html - you can learn about the symptoms of a dental cyst.

And here is information about what red spots on the tongue of an adult can mean.

What not to do if your cheek is swollen

Before removing the swelling, so as not to worsen the situation, you need to understand what can be done and what cannot be done. If you are not sure of the cause of the swelling, you do not need to apply any compresses, neither warm nor cold, before visiting the doctor. Such actions are fraught with negative consequences. For example, when pus forms, a hot compress can accelerate the development of the pathological process. It is not even recommended to sleep on the sore side. You should also not disturb the swollen cheek, press or massage it.

You should not take painkillers immediately before your visit to the doctor. It can obscure the clinical picture and complicate the diagnosis. It is also prohibited to use any medications without a doctor’s prescription and supervision, especially antibiotics, which affect not only the cause of the disease, but also the entire body.

Comments

Just a week ago I had a routine examination at the dentist, they took an X-ray of my jaws... the doctor did not find any problems. There was nothing to treat. A day ago my cheek was swollen, but there was no toothache. With what it can be connected? Maybe the doctor made a mistake?

Dina (12/23/2019 at 05:32 pm) Reply to comment

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (12/28/2019 at 09:14) Reply to comment

what should I do if my cheek is swollen due to a tooth and I am 13 years old but the tooth does not hurt

Nastya (05/09/2020 at 14:29) Reply to comment

I have clean canals in my tooth, but the pain is terrible when tooth comes into contact with tooth, and the gums are swollen, the doctor prescribed an antibiotic, if that doesn’t help, then remove the tooth)) funny)) if they see that the tooth is no longer viable, why bring my condition to constant pain for 5 days?

Irina (09/03/2021 at 20:52) Reply to comment

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How to prevent cheek swelling: preventive measures

To prevent the manifestation of an unwanted symptom, you must follow certain recommendations:

Maintain good oral hygiene. It is especially necessary to monitor the child’s performance of all procedures. It is important to brush your teeth twice a day, use dental floss and mouthwash.
Visit the dentist periodically - at least twice a year. If unpleasant symptoms occur, a visit to the doctor should be made immediately.
Strengthen the gums and roots of the teeth by rinsing with herbal infusions and eating solid plant foods.
Eat rationally and balanced. The body must receive the entire complex of vitamins and minerals around the clock.

No one is immune from problems, but preventative measures will help reduce the likelihood of their occurrence.