Facial swelling

Facial Swelling is the enlargement of a face that may be due to dental infections or can be after tooth extraction. In medical terminology, facial swelling is termed as facial edema. Facial swelling can occur in eyes, lips, cheeks, nose and jaw. Any facial swelling accompanied by dyspnea, distress, fever, redness and irritation should be immediately reported to the dentist.{{more}}

Causes of Facial Swelling

Cause of facial swelling can be tooth infection, trauma, allergies or sinus infection. The major causes of facial edema or facial swelling are:

1. Infections

2. Allergic reactions

3. Trauma to the face

4. Other causes

Infections causing facial swelling

1. Bacterial or viral infections may cause facial swelling. The major organ affected is the eyes.

2. Other infections that cause swelling in eyes are orbital cellulites and styes. A stye affects the oil glands of the eyes.

3. Mumps can also bring about facial swelling.

4. Dental Abscess.

Facial Swelling due to Allergy

Facial swelling may be due to an insect bite such as a bee sting, hay fever or an allergic reaction to drugs or an anaphylactic allergic reaction.

Facial Swelling due to Trauma

Trauma, like facial burns, oral surgery (dental extraction) or a road side accident, can bring about facial swelling.

Other causes of facial swelling

Other causes of facial swelling include fluid retention (as seen in pregnancy), obesity, organ failure or severe malnutrition.

Facial Swelling Due to Toothache

When the infection develops inside the tooth, the face starts to swell. Tooth infection may further lead to pocket formation or abscess formation that causes enlargement of lymph nodes at the affected site.

Never try medications without consultation. It is advised that you schedule a visit to a dentist as soon as possible if you encounter such swelling. If a visit to the dental clinic is not feasible, then you may try the following home remedies to get rid of facial swelling.

Home remedies for Facial Swelling due to Toothache

Warm saline rinses: Rinse your mouth with warm saline gargles. The mixture can be made by mixing 1¼2 tablespoon salt to 8 oz of warm water. Do mouth wash rinses every hour.

Cold Compress: Applying a cold compress helps reduce swelling. Make sure not to apply ice directly to the skin, as it can damage the skin and increase the pain. You can wrap the ice cubes in a bath towel and then apply over the affected region. The time for application is 20 minutes off and 20 minutes on.

Proper brushing: Sometimes, when a patient’s face begins to swell, they stop brushing their teeth. It is however advised that brushing and flossing be continued. It removes the food particles and debris collected in the mouth.

Facial Swelling due to Dental Abscess

Dental abscess is an infection of mouth, jaw or face that generally begins with tooth infection or a dental cavity. The chief cause of a dental abscess is poor oral hygiene and not undergoing regular dental check-ups.

When there is abscess formation, the pus gets accumulated at the site of infection. This brings swelling at the affected region. The preferred treatment for dental abscess is surgical drainage by an oral surgeon.

If untreated, swelling due to dental abscess can block the airways, thereby leading to suffocation.

Treatment for Dental Abscess

The only treatment for dental abscess is getting it drained by visiting an oral surgeon. To prevent pain and inflammation, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, like ibuprofen, can be taken.

In a case where the abscess ruptures by itself, you should not panic, but rinse the mouth with warm water and allow the complete drainage. Also schedule a visit to the dentist.