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Facial or jaw swelling from a tooth can be worrying. When should someone go to the ER, and when is it OK to call a dentist for the next available appointment?
Swelling linked to a tooth often comes from an infection (such as an abscess), and infections in the head and neck can become serious. General guidance:
Call 911 or go to the ER right away if swelling is spreading quickly, reaches the eye, under the jaw or down the neck, or comes with trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, being unable to open your mouth, a high fever or feeling very unwell.
Contact a dentist the same day if you have swelling in the gum or cheek, a pimple-like bump on the gum, throbbing pain, or a bad taste, even without fever.
Things to avoid: don’t apply heat to the outside of the face, and don’t try to pop or drain a bump yourself. Antibiotics alone usually don’t fix the source of a dental infection; the tooth typically needs treatment.
Our dental emergency checker walks through these warning signs. If you don’t have a dentist, our dentists near me directory can help you find one, and people on Medicaid can use the Medicaid dentist finder.
General education only, not a diagnosis or treatment advice. Please see a licensed dentist about your own situation. For a medical emergency (trouble breathing or swallowing, heavy bleeding, a major injury or rapidly spreading swelling), call 911 or go to the nearest ER.
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