Dental emergency
Dental abscess with swelling
Facial swelling from a tooth is an emergency — same-day, no exceptions.
First 30 minutes
Do this right now
Look for a pimple on the gum, a swollen cheek, fever, or a bad taste in the mouth. This is a spreading bacterial infection. Give paracetamol for pain and get to a pediatric dentist the same day. If the swelling reaches the eye, spreads down the neck, or affects breathing/swallowing — go straight to the ER.
Find nearest emergency dentistDo
- Same-day dental visit
- Paracetamol for pain and fever
- Cool (not cold) compress
- Watch for eye/neck swelling
Don't
- Don't apply heat — spreads infection
- Don't lance the pimple at home
- Don't rely on antibiotics alone
When to go to the ER instead
Go to ER immediately if swelling reaches the eye, spreads down the neck, causes fever above 39 °C, or affects breathing or swallowing. Dental infections can become life-threatening.
What happens at the dentist
The dentist drains the abscess, treats or extracts the source tooth, and prescribes antibiotics if the infection is spreading.
Related treatments
Other emergencies
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
Severe toothache
Pain that wakes the child up = same-day dental visit.
Broken bracket, wire or aligner
Rarely urgent — usually a next-day fix.
Soft-tissue injury (cut lip, tongue, cheek)
Mouth wounds bleed dramatically — but heal fast.
Tooth pushed into the gum (intrusion)
A tooth driven into the bone — see a dentist immediately.
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