Swollen, Puffy Cheeks & Really Sore Jaw...Is This An Emergency?

[dragonlady302]

HELP! I got home today from class & my face feels swollen & numb in some places. Not unlike when you go to the dentist. My jaw bone is really sore too. I looked in the mirror & my cheeks do seem a little puffy. I am worried that maybe I came in contact with something & it's already making me sick. A couple of things about my own habits. When I am stressed, I tend to put pressure on my jaw by biting down. I don't realize I am doing it at first, but I stop the moment I do. And I have lately had a really bad taste in my mouth. I brush my teeth, chew mint gum & even mouthwash, but nothing makes the taste go away. It is like a sour, chemical taste. I am not sure if this is related to my swollen face, but I thought I would mention it...just in case. Anyway, Prompt advice would be appreciated as I may need to go to the ER if this gets worse. Should I take an Advil for the swelling?  I also have a slight fever.

[dragonlady302]

Well, my doctor confirmed today that it is not an absessed tooth. I forgot what he called it, but he described it as a viral infection that is trapped in the nerves. It can cause numbness & pain. He said you usually can tell right away if you have an absess. And it isn't normally associated with numbness. In fact, he said the pain travels upward toward the ears. My pain was concentrated in my lower jaw. So, get this...They put me on an IV of silver...Weird, but they said it would combat the bacteria. I am not really use to my doctor doing anything for me. I am a patient at a Wellness Clinic that take a more holistic approach to healing. They try to help the body heal itself instead of become dependent on meds. However, they sure didn't hesitate to get me on that IV of silver. Now, I am worried because I have heard that a virus can travel to the heart & that can be fatal. The doc said that it was good I had a fever because that is my body fighting the infection. Now, I just need to rest. They gave the silver with B12 to help it go in smoothly. I just wanted to let you know what happened at the doctor's appointment. Do you think it is risky to continue with the silver treatments. They said if it doesn't work the first time, it should take the second time...What do you think?

[geminigirl1963]

If it is an abscess, it could very well be deep within the tooth (like the root) or even in the jaw itself.  I'm glad you have an appointment with your doctor to see if you can figure out what's going on.  Please let me know what you find out.

Just out of curiosity, were you immunized as a child for mumps?  Any chance you could have been exposed to mumps recently?

[dragonlady302]

Well, my teeth are all fine. I brush regularly. If it is a dental issue, I don't have dental insurance, so I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.  My fever is increasing. I do have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. I am hoping to at least get some antibiotics. Today, I noticed a discoloration on one side of my face. I have been eating nothing but soup & yogurt. My teeth on that side of my face also hurt a lot, however, I can see nothing wrong with any of my teeth when I look inside my mouth. If there is something of that nature wrong, it would have to be deep in my jaw or something. This just came on out of nowhere. I am really dizzy & my jaw hurts so much. I hope I can make it through the night. I have been drinking a lot of water too. I know that is another way to combat a fever. Taking Advil hasn't been helping, but I might have an immunity to it because I take it all the time for headaches. I really hope this doesn't get worse. I really can't imagine it being an abcessed tooth though, but I am certainly no expert.  

[geminigirl1963]

I'm sorry I didn't see this post sooner - I'm hoping you're either feeling better by now or have sought the advice of a doctor.

If you haven't already - you definitely should be seen by a doctor - actually, preferably, a dentist.  I'm thinking you may have a tooth abscess - based on the swelling, pain and even the bad taste you've been having in your mouth = amd the fever.  If it is an abscess, you'll need to be put on antibiotics and once the infection is cleared up, either have the affected tooth/teeth removed or, depending on the amount of damage to them, possibly a crown.  They may also be able to give you some pain meds to help with pain while the antibiiotics do their job.  They need to get the infection taken care of first because if they either pulled or did crown work on your tooth/teeth while the abscess is still there, tere is a much higher risk of the infection spreading, which can be very dangerous.

So, please, if you haven't already - get in to see your doctor or dentist.  You could start out with your regular doctor, however, be prepared that if he/she also thinks it's a dental issue, they'll end up sendin gyou to your dentist or an oral surgeon, so in order to save time and money, you may want to just start out with your dentist.

Best of luck - I've had tooth abscesses before and they are definitely no fun!