Exacerbation of the inflammatory process in the tooth sometimes leads to swelling of the cheek. The symptom of swelling occurs due to inflammation of the periosteum, which in dental terms is called periostitis.
It must be said that swelling indicates that the stage of inflammation is seriously advanced. If the cheek is swollen from a tooth, then most likely the patient ignored the long period when the tooth was destroyed by caries. Then the infection penetrated into the pulp chamber, where the nerve of the tooth is located, and pulpitis began. But even at this stage the patient did not visit the dentist, but endured acute tooth pain with the help of painkillers. Then the pathogenic bacteria penetrated deeper into the periodontal tissues, which connect the root of the diseased tooth with the alveolar processes of the jaw, and from there they reached the periosteum, causing periostitis.
Rinses and lotions
Flux or periostitis develops due to advanced pulpitis, periodontitis, periodontitis. It progresses rapidly, leading to serious complications including sepsis and death. Therefore, the main treatment should be carried out in the clinic, other measures only complement it.
One of the auxiliary methods of therapy is oral baths. They relieve swelling, inflammation, soothe and heal the mucous membrane.
Medicines
The best option for removing swelling, even if the tooth does not hurt, but the cheek is swollen, is pharmaceutical antiseptic solutions. The following drugs are most often prescribed.
Chlorhexidine
The most popular and cheapest antiseptic for periostitis. It is active against most pathogenic microorganisms: anaerobic, aerobic, gram-positive and negative.
The most popular and cheapest antiseptic.
Important! It is worth considering that chlorhexidine has little effect against viruses and fungi. And it affects bacterial spores only at elevated temperatures.
The product rarely provokes allergic reactions. Available in bottles at a concentration of 0.5%. The solution should be used undiluted every couple of hours. The average price of chlorhexidine is 10 rubles.
"Betadine"
The main active ingredient is iodine. It has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Effectively draws out pus, promotes its discharge and reduces flux.
Use Betadine for periostitis 4 times a day. To prepare the solution, you need to dilute 20 drops of the drug in a glass of warm water. You can buy it for 150 rubles.
Additional Information! Also used for rinsing against periostitis are Miramistin, hydrogen peroxide, or any mouth rinse containing alcohol.
The active ingredient is iodine.
"Rotokan"
Herbal preparation based on alcohol. Contains a squeeze of calendula, chamomile, yarrow. Relieves swelling, inflammation, disinfects the oral mucosa.
Apply flux tincture according to the scheme: 20 ml of product per 200 ml of water. Mouth baths are done every 2-3 hours. The price of "Rotokan" is about 50 rubles.
Folk remedies
Home remedies for flux are also actively used in dentistry. They are prescribed as an independent remedy or in addition to medicinal antiseptics.
Soda and salt
How to quickly and effectively remove swelling from dental flux using improvised methods? 15 best rinses, lotions, ointments, antibiotics and decongestants.
Soda-saline solution is the main home assistant in the treatment of any inflammatory processes, including periostitis. The components perfectly disinfect, draw out pus, reduce pain by reducing swelling, inflammation and death of microbes.
For cooking, take 1 tsp. baking soda and salt per glass of lukewarm water. You can use any salt: table salt or pure sea salt. To enhance the effect, add 2-3 drops of iodine.
A simple and effective recipe.
Herbal infusions
Tinctures of medicinal herbs also have a good anti-inflammatory effect for periodontitis and, to a lesser extent, a disinfectant effect. In addition, they soothe the affected area and relieve pain.
The best options for treating gumboil are sage, calendula, chamomile, eryngium, mustard plaster, lemon balm, wormwood, oak bark and calamus root. The components are taken one at a time or in any combination.
2 tbsp. dry leaves or flowers are poured with half a liter of hot water and brought to a boil in a water bath. Leave for 2–3 hours, strain, and heat to a comfortable temperature. The mouth is rinsed as standard.
Additional Information! You can also buy alcoholic tinctures of herbs. They are used for periostitis at the rate of 20 drops per glass of water.
Herbal decoctions have an excellent anti-inflammatory effect.
Propolis
Ouzo or bee glue is a well-known folk remedy. This is the best natural antiseptic. It also has a weak anesthetic effect.
It is best to buy a ready-made propolis tincture (5%) in alcohol or oil. The second is suitable for children, pregnant and lactating women. It is diluted in standard proportions in water for rinsing, lubricated with swelling and gums around it, or moistened with a sponge and applied to the gumboil.
Important! You can also simply chew pieces of propolis for 10 - 15 minutes.
Propolis can be chewed.
Aloe and Kalanchoe leaves
These plants are widely used in folk medicine. They are used against infectious and colds.
To eliminate periostitis, take freshly squeezed juice, ground or cut leaves with the spines removed. They lubricate the swelling or apply it to it, wrapped in gauze. Keep the lotion for up to 2 hours. You can also simply chew the plants.
Important! Kalanchoe and aloe are very bitter and leave an unpleasant aftertaste for a long time. This may be a good reason to replace them with other means.
The juice can be used to lubricate wounds or make lotions.
Tip #1: go to the doctor immediately if you suspect purulent pathologies
If certain pathologies are detected, you should not hesitate to seek professional help, because This can lead to serious health problems, as well as the fact that you will have to say goodbye to a bad tooth forever.
So, your cheek is swollen from a tooth. What to do? First of all, try to understand what led to the problem. We list the reasons, if suspected, you should urgently go to the doctor:
- flux, or periostitis: due to this disease, according to statistics, most often the cheek, and not just the gums, swells greatly,
- fistula: a small lump with a hole in the gum through which pus oozes,
- alveolitis: occurs due to infection or injury to the wound of an extracted tooth,
- cyst: can develop next to a living tooth or be located near a pulpless tooth if there is a filling or crown on it,
- periodontitis: often a consequence of advanced pulpitis, or occurs in treated teeth if they have incorrectly manufactured and installed crowns, as well as in the case of poor-quality cleaning and treatment of root canals,
- osteomyelitis.
The photo shows the procedure for removing pus.
Click on the links on the names to read more about each disease. And if the symptoms are confirmed, then immediately go to the doctor, because... Without opening, draining and removing purulent masses, treatment will not bring positive results. Trying to help yourself at home will only waste valuable time and increase the likelihood of complications. The infection can quickly spread through the blood and lymph to internal organs and even cause sepsis.
Ointments and gels
Along with antiseptic rinses, ointments and gels are prescribed for periostitis. They also disinfect wounds, draw out pus and relieve swelling. In addition, the drugs have a reparative effect and accelerate healing.
Pharmacy products
The best option is to use medicated flux gels. They include strong antiseptic and antibacterial components that are tens of times superior to plant ones. Their cost is affordable and there is no need to waste time preparing homemade balms.
"Metrogil-Denta"
The gel is specially designed to eliminate dental problems: inflammation and gum disease (gingivitis, periodontal disease, periodontitis), stomatitis, cheilitis, periostitis. It is also used for teething, injuries caused by braces and dentures.
"Metorogil-Denta" is a combination drug based on chlorhexidine and metronidazole. It is not absorbed, does not penetrate the bloodstream and affects only pathogenic microorganisms and does not affect beneficial bacteria.
Contains chlorhexidine and metronidazole.
Important! The gel occasionally causes allergic reactions. It is contraindicated in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, during breastfeeding, and in children under 6 years of age.
The product is available in tubes of 5, 10 and 20 g. The average price for Metrogyl Denta is 250 rubles.
"Levomekol"
"Levomekol" based on the reparant methyluracil and the antibiotic chloramphenicol. The latter is active against most bacteria, microbes and viruses. It is extremely rare for pathogenic microorganisms to develop resistance to it. It is effective against many strains that are not affected by penicillin, sulfonamides, and streptomycin.
Additional Information! Chloramphenicol is on the list of the most important and vital drugs.
I use the gel for flux only externally. It is applied pure to the gums or lubricated with a tampon and made into a lotion. Levomekol costs about 100 rubles.
Contains an antibiotic.
Home methods
Dental swelling can also be reduced with homemade ointments. Their main advantage is the absence of contraindications with the exception of hypersensitivity.
Calendula cream
Dried flowers are mixed with melted butter in a concentration of 1:5. Apply flux overnight and 2-3 times during the day.
Beeswax mixture
Heat 3 tbsp in a water bath. linseed and olive oil. Add 25 ml of honey and 50 ml of beeswax. Melt, cool and apply to the tumor with a cotton swab.
The wax is melted in a water bath.
Why does my cheek often swell when my tooth hurts?
Any dental disease almost always provokes pain. Often it is accompanied by swelling of the mucous membrane within the causative tooth. In this case, unpleasant sensations can be very intense, constant or paroxysmal. By the nature of the symptoms and their location, you can tell a lot about the suspected cause:
- inflammation – exacerbation of chronic foci of infection, development of periostitis (flux) and periodontitis (inflammation in the root region),
- errors when filling canals - poor-quality filling of canals with filling material or accidental perforation of the root can lead to infectious and inflammatory complications,
- neoplasm in the thickness of the gingival tissue (cysts, granulomas) - at first the pathological process may develop asymptomatically, but over time the inflammatory process will join, and then pain will appear,
- tooth extraction – an open wound creates favorable conditions for infection, so after the procedure it is so important to strictly follow all the specialist’s recommendations,
- trauma - a violation of the integrity of the tooth and mucous membrane in itself leads to pain and swelling, but also opens a direct path for tissue infection.
a tumor may appear after tooth extraction.
It should also be noted that the cheek may swell as a result of pathological processes that develop not within the oral cavity, but nearby. For example, tonsillitis, otitis media or lymphadenopathy1 can provoke such a symptom.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are necessarily prescribed for tooth flux. Since the contents of the abscess are represented by a wide flora of strains of anaerobic, aerobic, gram-negative and positive microorganisms, broad-spectrum preparations are needed.
"Amoxiclav"
It is active against most bacteria and microbes. Penetrates into all organs and is excreted by the kidneys in an almost unchanged form.
Important! "Amoxiclav" is prohibited for adolescents under 12 years of age, with liver diseases, and jaundice. During pregnancy it is prescribed with caution.
Amoxiclav costs 250 - 300 rubles.
"Lincomycin"
In small doses it has a bacteriostatic effect (suppresses the activity of pathogenic microorganisms), in high doses it has a bactericidal effect (leads to the death of microbes).
"Lincomycin" is considered a "dental" antibiotic. It is often prescribed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the gums and teeth, as it can accumulate in the periosteum.
The basis of treatment is antibacterial therapy.
The drug is relatively safe and is prescribed to infants over 1 month of age. Sometimes it can cause digestive upset and allergic reactions. The medication should not be prescribed for serious disorders of the liver and kidneys, or for pregnant and lactating mothers.
“Lincomycin” costs about 200 rubles.
Important! Only a doctor prescribes the type of antibiotic, dosage and duration of use. Self-medication leads to bacterial resistance and complications.
I have a toothache and a swollen cheek - what could be the reason? Symptoms and treatment methods
Swelling of the gums and cheeks can be a consequence of various dental diseases. This problem requires urgent medical intervention, otherwise the consequences of an advanced pathological process may become irreversible. But if there is no way to get an appointment with a dentist in the near future, you can try to relieve the pain and alleviate your condition with the help of medications and traditional medicine. Read further in this article about what to do if your tooth hurts and your cheek is swollen.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
You can quickly relieve swelling and reduce pain at home with flux using anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs. They are available in the form of tablets, suspensions, and powders.
"Nimesil"
The main anti-inflammatory “dental” remedy. The main component is nimesulide. It has a strong anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory effect, and to a lesser extent – antipyretic and analgesic. These properties make Nimesil the No. 1 drug in the treatment of periostitis.
The main component is nimesulide.
The medicine is prescribed for adults and children over 12 years of age, 1 sachet twice a day. It is not recommended for patients with disorders of the intestines, liver, heart or during pregnancy.
The price of one sachet of “Nimesil” is 20–30 rubles.
