Facial swelling: dental causes and emergency warning signs

The details around swelling help decide how urgent the situation is. Look for dental symptoms, trauma signs, allergic symptoms and whole-body warning signs.

• Swelling of the cheek, jaw, gum, lip, mouth, throat, neck or eye area.
• Toothache, pain on biting, gum tenderness or a tooth that feels raised.
• Pus, a bad taste, bad breath or a visible lump on the gum.
• Fever, shivering, tiredness, swollen glands or feeling generally unwell.
• Difficulty opening the mouth, speaking, swallowing or lying flat.
• Injury-related swelling after a fall, impact or sports accident.
• Sudden swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth or throat, wheezing, rash or dizziness.

Facial swelling has several possible causes. Dental symptoms make a dental source more likely, but sudden or widespread swelling may need medical emergency care.

• A dental abscess or infection around a tooth or gum.
• A wisdom tooth infection or gum swelling around a partly erupted tooth.
• A broken tooth, leaking filling or dental injury that has become infected.
• Gum disease or infected gum pockets.
• Facial, jaw or mouth injury.
• Allergic swelling or another medical condition unrelated to teeth.

1. 1If breathing, swallowing or speech is affected, call 999 immediately.
2. 2If swelling seems dental and there are no 999 red flags, contact your own dentist urgently where possible or use NHS 111 if you cannot access a dentist.
3. 3Keep upright if swelling feels worse lying down and avoid driving yourself if you feel unwell.
4. 4Use pain relief only if suitable for you and follow the packet instructions. Ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.
5. 5Keep the mouth clean with gentle brushing. Adults may rinse gently with warm salty water if they can do so safely.
6. 6For swelling after an injury, a wrapped cold pack may help soft-tissue swelling while you arrange appropriate care.
7. 7Do not squeeze, pierce or try to drain a swelling.
8. 8Do not take someone else's antibiotics or leftover antibiotics.

Arrange prompt dental assessment if facial swelling appears to be linked with a tooth, gum, wisdom tooth, broken tooth or recent dental treatment. Spreading, recurrent or continuing swelling needs urgent dental care unless medical emergency signs are present.

• Swelling with toothache, gum pain, pain on biting, pus or a bad taste.
• Swelling that is getting bigger, spreading, recurrent or continuing but is not causing breathing, swallowing, speech or eye-opening difficulty.
• A swollen gum or face after a broken tooth, lost filling, crown problem or dental injury.
• Fever, swollen glands or feeling unwell alongside dental symptoms.
• Bleeding or severe pain after a recent extraction or dental procedure.
• Minor localised swelling that is not spreading can still need timely professional review, especially for children, pregnancy or medical vulnerability.

If your own dentist is not available and symptoms are urgent, NHS 111 can advise the next step but does not guarantee an appointment.

• Swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue, throat or neck with breathing difficulty, choking, wheezing or throat tightness.
• Difficulty swallowing saliva, speaking, opening the mouth, or staying awake and alert.
• Swelling spreading towards or around the eye, especially with vision changes or inability to open the eye.
• Serious face or jaw injury, heavy mouth bleeding that will not stop, or head or facial injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting or double vision.
• Sudden swelling after food, medicine, an insect sting or another possible allergy trigger.

If you are not sure whether swelling is life-threatening, NHS 111 can advise. Call 999 immediately if breathing or swallowing is affected.

A dentist may ask when swelling started, how quickly it is changing, whether you have pain, fever, injury or recent treatment, and whether swallowing, speech or breathing are affected.

They may examine the teeth, gums, jaw and soft tissues, take an X-ray, drain infection, treat the tooth or gum cause, prescribe medicine when clinically appropriate, or direct you to urgent medical care if the swelling is beyond routine dental management.