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Swelling of the jaw can be a symptom of an abscessed tooth. A dental abscess is an infection at the base of a tooth. It means a pocket of pus has formed at the tip of a tooth root in your jaw bone. If the infection isn’t treated, it can appear as a swelling on the gum near the tooth. More serious infections spread to the face. This causes your face to swell (cellulitis). This is a very serious condition. Once the swelling begins, it can spread quickly. You need to call your dentist and make an appointment to determine the cause of the swelling and arrange the appropriate treatment.
Swollen lymph node under your jaw might be a symptom of pericoronitis, tooth abscess or a non-dental issue. To be sure visit your GP or dentist to examine the causes of the lymph node swelling.
When your wisdom teeth only partially erupt through the gum, it allows food particles and bacteria to get caught under the gum flap still covering the tooth. If left untreated, this can irritate the gum and cause an infection to develop called pericoronitis. This results in:
To diagnose pericoronitis, your dentist will examine your mouth to see how the wisdom teeth are growing in. An x-ray shows the precise alignment of the wisdom teeth and determines if they have partially erupted.
If the infection is mild, you may be able to remedy it by rinsing with warm salt water and ensuring food doesn’t become trapped under the gum flap. If your jaw is swollen and painful, this means the infection has spread and you need antibiotics. You can also take over-the-counter pain medication to alleviate the discomfort until the infection subsides. If pericoronitis recurs, you may need to have surgery to remove the gum flap or extract the wisdom tooth.
