Swollen teeth remedy

A swollen area around a tooth needs the cause treated; gentle cleaning and pain relief can help while you arrange dental care.

Gum inflammation can enlarge the tissue at the tooth margin, while a dental abscess can collect pus beside the root or in the gum. Impacted wisdom teeth, food trapped between teeth, trauma, and a cracked or decayed tooth are other possible causes.

Rinse gently with warm salt water, brush around the area without scrubbing the swelling, and use an over-the-counter pain medicine only as directed on its label and suitable for your health history. Do not place aspirin on the gum, squeeze the swelling, or rely on antibiotics without dental treatment.

Contact a dentist promptly for swelling with toothache, pain on biting, a bad taste, or a gum pimple. Go to emergency care for trouble breathing or swallowing, marked facial swelling, fever, or difficulty opening the mouth.

Ask whether the swelling comes from the gum, the pulp, a root abscess, or an impacted tooth and whether an X-ray is needed. Ask whether drainage, a filling, root canal treatment, periodontal care, or extraction addresses the source.