Swollen jaw 16 days after wisdom teeth extraction?!
Question: I got three (bottoms and top left) wisdom teeth removed on December 21st. Everything went well, I had minimal pain, I was swollen but nothing horrible, and there was no bleeding. Within a week I was fine again and went to the oral surgeon for follow up and he said everything was fine.
This morning, January 7th, I woke up with a swollen jaw on the left side, mainly the bottom. There is minimal pain but it is swollen and hard. My jaw feels hard, and different from the right side.
I am going to hopefully go to the dentist tomorrow to get it checked out, but does anyone have a clue what it may be and how they will fix it?
Should I ice it, put heat on it, or neither?
Answers: I got three (bottoms and top left) wisdom teeth removed on December 21st. Everything went well, I had minimal pain, I was swollen but nothing horrible, and there was no bleeding. Within a week I was fine again and went to the oral surgeon for follow up and he said everything was fine.
This morning, January 7th, I woke up with a swollen jaw on the left side, mainly the bottom. There is minimal pain but it is swollen and hard. My jaw feels hard, and different from the right side.
I am going to hopefully go to the dentist tomorrow to get it checked out, but does anyone have a clue what it may be and how they will fix it?
Should I ice it, put heat on it, or neither?
You are doing the right thing, going to the dentist as soon as possible. If you were able to be seen today, you should definitely do that. Sounds likely like an infection, which is a relatively common complication to extractions. If it gets worse quickly, e.g., tonight, go the ER or call the dentist's emergency #. I would do neither ice nor heat, since I can't tell what it is for sure. If it is an infection, likely the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic for you (specifics I cannot comment on). Take care.
i was told after mine to apply warm compresses
It is likely an abscess (infection). It's good that you are getting checked by a dentist tomorrow because you DO NOT want to let that go! Try heat---that often will bring down swelling and can be soothing. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) is an anti-inflammatory so you can take some of that as directed as well.
CONTACT THE SURGEON.
heat. rest it