If you’ve had your wisdom teeth out, the picture above probably looks familiar.
When I got my wisdom teeth out around ten years ago, our insurance wouldn’t cover all four teeth. Sadly, my family was a little short on cash, so my mom decided that I would get my top wisdom teeth out, then wait until the next year to get my bottom wisdom teeth out. That way, it wouldn’t cost us any money out of pocket.
Plus, I had the experience of getting my wisdom teeth taken out… twice.
Luckily my cheeks didn’t get swollen as badly the second time around.
If you want to know why dentists usually remove wisdom teeth, read the article Why Dentists Extract Wisdom Teeth
Why Your Cheeks Get Swollen After Your Wisdom Teeth are Removed
Your cheeks get puffy and swollen after your wisdom teeth are removed because your body is going through a process that will help heal the damaged tissue. Getting your wisdom teeth taken out can be a traumatic experience for your body. It responds by trying to heal the extraction site as quickly as possible. Inflammation and swelling helps this healing occur.
It is important to know that the swelling is a normal, healthy response that your body is mounting due to the trauma from the extractions.
How Long Will You Have Puffy, Swollen Cheeks?
The book Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery reports that swelling reaches a maximum anywhere from 24-48 hours after removal of the wisdom teeth. One study has reported that cheek swelling after wisdom teeth removal peaks around 24 hours after the surgery (source.) If the swelling is stillgetting worse three days after the extractions, it could be a sign of infection and you might want to give your dentist/oral surgeon a call.
Note that infections after routine extractions are rare. The oral surgery book listed above states, “The typical signs [of infection] are development of a fever, increasing [swelling] or worsening pain 3 to 4 days after surgery. Infected wounds look inflamed, and some [pus] is usually present.”
The puffiness and swelling will start to decrease approzimately three to four days after the wisdom teeth extraction and should completely subside about one week after the extractions.
It is normal to have more swelling in the mornings and then have it gradually subside throughout the day as you stand up and the fluid drains due to the force of gravity.
How to Reduce Cheek Swelling After Wisdom Teeth Removal
If you don’t want to look like a chipmunk after your wisdom teeth are removed, here are a few suggestions:
1 – Ask the oral surgeon if he or she can get you some corticosteroids. There have been some studies (here’s one) that suggest that steroids can reduce cheek swelling after the wisdom teeth are removed.
The book Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery recommends the steroid dexamethasone to control “postsurgical edema” (which means “swelling after surgery”) and had the following to say about this subject:
Dexamethasone is a long-acting steroid and its efficacy in controlling third molar postsurgical edema is documented. This drug can then be continued in an oral dose of 0.75 to 1.25 mg twice a day for 2 to 3 days to continue edema control.
2 – Heat applied on the third day after surgery can help reduce cheek swelling. Be sure to use water that isn’t too hot – you don’t want to damage your skin! Heating pads and hot water pads are good suggestions.
Don’t apply heat until at least the third day after wisdom teeth extraction.
3 – Keep your head elevated. If you keep your head elevated, it is harder for the fluid to stay up in your head due to the force of gravity. If you spend a lot of time lying down in bed, you may find that you have puffier cheeks!
Conclusion
Do you have any questions or comments about wisdom teeth removal and its associated cheek swelling? If so, please leave them below in the comments section.
Hi, uhm, i got 3 of my wisdom teeth pulled out on friday november 26 and they are still swolen and today is november 30th. is it possible for them to stay puffy forever? and if there is an infection, what kind of infection could it be?
Hi Brittany – Sometimes swelling stays around for a while. As long as the swelling and pain aren’t getting worse, it could be that you’re just taking a while to recover.
Your cheeks won’t stay puffy forever. I was a teenager when I got my wisdom teeth taken out, so I know that it can seem like an eternity! Hang in there, and you’ll be just fine.
Infections are VERY rare. If you have a LOT of pain and you’re getting pus draining out, then you should definitely go see your dentist/oral surgeon.
I hope that helps, if you have any other questions, just leave another comment. Thanks for your comment!
I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth taken out on August 1st and it’s now quiet 3rd. Do you think the swollen cheeks will be gone by the 5th? It’s been pretty puffy yesterday and this morning so I’m afraid I won’t be able to go back to work on Friday. Will using a heating pad be more efficient? Or an ice pack? Thanks:)
Hi Cindy – The swelling depends on how invasive the surgery was and how quickly your body can repair the spot where the tooth used to be.
You can read the section “How to Reduce Cheek Swelling After Wisdom Teeth Removal” for some tips on the heating pad/ice issue.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Cindy. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Tom, I had a coronectomy last week which is where they remove the crown of the tooth and leave the other part in because they didnt want to risk removal of all as it was to near to the nerve.
I went back today after a week due to severe pain last night, she treated me for dry socket. She said my skin cheek was overlapping my back tooth so where I been biting I am biting down on my cheek, as at time I was concerned about the hole I didnt think to ask about the swollen inner cheek situation.
Where the cheek is at the back on the last tooth thats where it overlaps and those parts are white not pink coloured.
Does this mean I will have to have on going treatment now or will my cheek go back on its own one swelling gone down?
The swelling on my outer cheek has now gone down but I did have a bruise there for a couple of days.
It was my lower left wisdom which was impacted so have to be cut out by oral surgeon.
I had my wisdom teeth taken out August 10th 2016 and swelling went down after 2-3 days it’s now September 6th and the swelling and pain is back what should I do?
hey , i had 8 wisdom teeth! two in each socket, i had 4 out 6 months ago & the last 4 out 2 days ago & let me tell you i look like a chipmunk : ( . the first time i got them out i was puffy for about 5-6 days and then i had some burseing after that,but it is rare to get an infection. just drink plenty of fluids & take you meds. i feel your pain i hate the puffy cheecks its epremely hard to eat!
Hello I’m a senoir in high school I got my wisdom teeth out Friday and my left cheek is still really puffy and bruised then the other but my other cheek is still bruised and a little puffy it’s already been 2 days will this go away by tomorrow or Tuesday? 🙁 where my wisdom teeth were taken out top and bottom my gums are red so that means they are healing good but I have cold sores inside my mouth and on the back of my throat I have one will this all go away soon I am taking good care of them with washing out with warm salt water regularly and taking my antibiotics and ibuprofen.
My gums aren’t red
I had my teeth pulled so is it normal for ur gum to be puffy red at the bottom
Took molar 3rd one from back tooth out on Monday 26th May 15, the tooth broke so she dug to find one root that was left behind, said that it was close to the bone so put gel padding, and asked to come and see her on Friday, the pain is getting worse so is he swelling took panedine forte and the pain has not gone away took it at 10:45pm today and it is 1:46 am and the drawing pain is there does not seem as if it is working, also getting a funny taste from the are where the gel padding was put, should it have been taken out, how long can you keep this padding in, it is a drawing pain, went to see my doctor on Tuesday she gave me amoxillin 500 mg 3 times a day, I have had other teeth including molars taken out but never a pain like this, also when I blew my nose there was this dried up blood that came out I did not have a blood nose prior to the operation or during the operation but I know the dentist was struggling to get the tooth out she had her assistant holding my head, I think a nerve could have been damaged and she was putting quite a bit of pressure on the top of my pallet, Please help I dont know what to do, do you thing having the gel padding there for 4 days could also be causing the issue, she said it would come out of its own but I do think it has Cannot sleep and I cant exceed the amount of panadeine forte x2 , 3 times a day and upto 6 paracetamol for three days, Please please help dont think the amoxilline is doing anything either,
God Bless you
Heather
I got 4 teeth pulled Monday November 9 in my excuse they told me to return to school Monday but only one side of my jaw is swollen . I been doing everything they told me it’s still swollen .
I got mine pulled Nov 12 I got 3 wisdom teeth pulled and 2 normal teeth pulled. I am still swollen it sucks cus I want to go workout and run already
Hi, I had my wisdom teeth removed about three weeks ago. After the first week the swelling and pain was gone. It stayed like that for one week, no swelling or pain. Now it’s about three weeks since surgery, and swelling has returned to one of the lower surgical sites. I went to back to my oral surgeon immediately, but he said he saw no sign of infection. In fact, he said it was looking good, very clean, and to alert him if it got worse. It’s a bit tender, but there’s not much pain at all. Why would it be swelling again? I’m confused why it would happen if I don’t have an infection.
I just got mine removed yesterday and when I woke up my left side was way more inflammed than the day before. Is this Normal?
I have remove my wisdom teeth, now it’s 12 days still I have swelling, can you say how long it will be swelling more???
Hi I had all four wisdom teeth out about a month ago i was with puffy cheecks for a about a week and a day, todays the 29/03/12 and i think ive got an infeccion it feels horrible, like they just took another two out, i look like a squirrel with to much food in one side of my mouth it happend before but on the other side and fortunately i’ve got some amoxicillin but i don’t know if i should take them or what :S
Hi Tom,
I had maxiofacial surgery a year and a half ago for and underbite, and i still feel my face very much swollen. Is this normal?
Hey , I got my wisdom teeth pulled on December 29 …went thru the swelling and everything .. Went down .. And all of a sudden I wake to swollen cheeks on Jan 20th ?
Leandre:
How have you been? I asked the doctor the very same question a few minutes back. My son got his wisdom teeth extracted four weeks ago, and his swelling is coming and going. Visited the surgeon and got prescription mouthwash and a second round of antibiotics last week but it has not helped much 🙁
So I am curious to find out about your case. What happened next?
Hii my Name is Simone and i got all 4 my wisdom teeth cut out and its been 5 days now and my left cheek is still hurting so much and there is like a hard ball in my cheek and i have applyed my ice but it hurts?
I have the exact problem, all 4 wisdoms pulled 4 days ago. The left side has gone down some, but my right cheek feel like a big hard ball is there. Why?
Its just swelling, mines the same on my right side right now.
Hi simone,
Did yours ever go away! I’m on day 5 and I have a hard lump on my left jaw. No pain but tingling and I can’t ipen my mouth all the way. I’m so beyond scared after reading some stories about bone infection.
its it normal for my cheeks to get more swollen the day after the removal rathather then the daay of the removal?
Hi Yessenia – Yes, it is normal. Your cheeks continue to get more swollen one to two days after you have your wisdom teeth removed. On the day that they are removed, your cheeks are just beginning to swell.
Don’t worry, the swelling is natural and it eventually does go away! Thanks for your question. I hope that helps.
yes it is Yessenia
Hi, I had my wisdom teeth taken out 1 week ago and there is still swelling that isn’t going down and a lot of pain also. One of my stitches has started to come out, and I am not sure if they are the one that dissolve or not. I don’t know what to do, so can you give me a suggestion?
Hi Autumn – Did your oral surgeon make an appointment with you to have your stitches taken out? If not, then they probably are the ones that dissolve. If there is pain that is getting worse and swelling that’s getting worse one week later, it would be a good idea to get in touch with your oral surgeon and find out if something is wrong.
If I were you, I would give them a call and let them know what’s going on. Since they are the ones that pulled the teeth, they’ll know what kind of complications might be more likely in your situation. I hope that helps. Have a merry Christmas!
Hi I had my wisdom teeth pulled out on June 23rd, 2011 and t’s now the 25th.
Is it normal for my swollen cheeks to get stuck between my teeth when I bite down? And why is one side of my face more swollen than the other? In the back of my mouth, there is a red spot that seems to be swollen, I dont know if it’s infected or if it’s just part of the healing process.
Thank you!!
Hi Christian – With the swelling, it is possible to bite down on your cheek tissue. One side could be more swollen than the other if the wisdom tooth was buried deeper in the bone and required a more invasive surgical procedure to remove that particular tooth.
The socket where the tooth used to be may be red for a until it heals. Infections are pretty rare, but it’s always safe to check with your oral surgeon/dentist to make sure that everything is healing properly. I hope that helps, Christian!
Hi, I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed about 11 hours ago, when do I start getting puffy cheeks? And am I supposed to use a icepack? And when could I apply a heating pad? and will I get bruises on my face, why and when will the bruises show?
Hi Linda – Usually the swelling builds up gradually and reaches its maximum 1-2 days after the extractions. At my dental school we tell people that to reduce swelling, they should apply an ice pack on the skin over the extraction site 20 minutes on and then 20 minutes off for the first 6-8 hours. I’m not sure about the heating pad. If I remember right, I got bruises when my lower wisdom teeth were removed, but not when I had my uppers taken out.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Linda!
I had 4 wisdom teeth removed yesterday (August 5th.) today, I woke up, and noticed that my left side was swelling more. I figured that it was from me sleeping and rolling over onto my left side. I’ve kept cold ice pack on it, as instructed, and have been taken my medicine as instructed as well, is this normal? I just don’t want any issues, because I’d hate to have to go back and be poked at, and in worse pain than I already am. I also have been eating like soft food such as mashed potatos, beans, and ice cream.
It has been 48 hours since my top and bottom wisdom teeth on my right side
have been extracted. On the cheek near the bottom stitches I seem to have developped
what looks like a canker sore. It’s protruding like a hill right and has a white tip. Is it an infection?
I have rinsed with mouth wash the first day after eating. And am now rinsing with salt water. It hurts a lot even though I’m on pain killers. I have been wearing an ice pack but the swelling is still present. What should I do?
Hi Rita – Without seeing it, I really can’t tell you what it is. If you’re unsure, it wouldn’t hurt to call your dentist/oral surgeon to see if they can let you know what’s going on. I wish I could be of more help. Thanks for your comment!
Hi my name is rebecca
I do a wisdom extraction since Friday and today is Monday my check is still swelling and stiffness .what can I use to carry away the swelling and stiffness
Hi Rita, did you ever figure out what that was?!
Hi Rita or Megan, I have that exact same thing do you guys know what it is?
Hi Claudia – The most likely thing I believe it would be is some excess gum tissue that’s sticking up. Over time, as the extraction socket heals, it should go away.
Your oral surgeon/dentist will be able to answer any specific questions pertinent to your case. I hope everything heals well for you!
Okay thanks so much! 🙂
Hi, I had all 4 of my impacted wisdom teeth removed on June 29th. Tomorrow will be July 3rd making it 5 days since the day of surgery. I am also 19 years old. The swelling has gone down a lot & its peak was during the 24-48 hour mark. However, I have a double chin now. When will this go away? Is it possible to stay like this permanantely? Also, I stopped taking the hydrocodone prescribed because it was making me feel very nauseated. I am taking an antibiotic regularly, but I am still experiencing some discomfort & throbbing. It comes & goes. I have been rinsing my mouth with salt water & I have also been using peridex to rinse my mouth every morning and every night. Since its been several days since surgery, can I still use ice packs to numb the pain? I switched to a hot towel after the 48 hour mark but I think the heat was the cause of more headaches. Thanks for your time.
Hi Ester – I imagine that the swelling by your chin will eventually go down. I remember it seemed like it took about a week for my swelling to go away when I had my wisdom teeth taken out. Discomfort is normal after getting teeth out, but that should eventually go away if everything is healing up nicely. Your dentist/surgeon is the best source to find out what you can do if you have any lingering problems.
I hope that helps, Esther. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hello i got my wisdom tooth taking out on thursday the 26th . My gums dnt hurt i just have a lot of swellen and feel a large hard bump on my cheeck. Is that normal. My dentist told me to put warm small towels on . Am not sure hes right bcuz every where i read just stayes i shld just be iceing the swollen area ? What should i do?
Hi. I just had my lower right impacted tooth removed. I’m planning to wear braces (the second time, because I didn’t wear the temporary braces). I had the surgery on July 4, and now it’s July 6. My cheek is still swollen, and under chin is actually a bit bruised too. I’m having difficulties to open my mouth. What should I do to make this swollen go away? I still have lower left impacted tooth and both mandibular first premolars to get pulled out.
Hi Inez – Since it’s already been a couple of days, the swelling has probably already peaked and your body will naturally get rid of the swelling as time goes by.
With impacted teeth, we have to remove bone and it can be a little more traumatic to your mouth. Good luck with the rest of your extractions and the braces!
I hope that helps, Inez. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi, I had my wisdom teeth out on Tuesday, and the pain isn’t all that bad, but the swelling is terrible. My oral surgeon said not to use ice after 24 hours, so how can I make the swelling go down? Thanks alot!
Hi Anongirl3212 – Nice name. The textbook Contemporary Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery says that you can use ice in the first 24 hours, but on the second day, no ice or heat should be applied. It then states, “On the third and subsequent postoperative days, application of heat may help to resolve the swelling more quickly. Heat sources such as hot water bottles and heating pads are recommended. Patients should be warned to avoid high-level heat for long periods to keep from injuring the skin.”
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi, one more question. I had all four wisdom teeth out on Tuesday, but I’m scared to take a hot shower. I’m tired of cold showers :(. Will it slow the healing process if I take a hot shower??
Hi Anongirl3212 – I’m not aware of any studies showing that a hot shower would slow the healing process. Did someone tell you that it would? Let me know.
Thanks for your comment!
Hi Tom, your answer to my question is so helpful. Thank you 🙂
One more question. It’s the fourth day after the extraction, I still have the swollen cheek. This morning I was brushing my teeth carefully, after I gargled, there was a bit blood. Is that normal? I get all paranoid night and day toward this condition. I still feel a bit sore, but i think it’s normal because you said I just had traumatic experience. I’m sorry for the way I write, English is not my first language 🙂 🙂
Hi Inez – I’m glad it helped! My guess is that the toothbrush probably disturbed the extraction area and it caused you to bleed. Soreness is definitely normal. If you experience prolonged bleeding that won’t stop, that’s not normal. It sounds like everything is healing well.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Inez!
One of my friends had her wisdom teeth out as well, and when she took a hot shower, it loosened the blood clot and caused her to get dry socket.
Got it. I haven’t heard of dry socket from a shower before, but I guess it’s possible. Usually we see dry socket occurring because the patient was sucking on something (cigarrette, straw, etc.) which loosens the blood clot.
Thank you so much!
I promise this is the last question I have! Ok, so I had all 4 wisdom teeth out a week ago, and I was wondering when it would be okay to chew with the back teeth? Thank you for all your help!
Hi Anongirl – It’s a good idea to take it easy by eating soft foods. Once you feel like you can chew those without any pain, then it’s probably alright to move on to harder foods. If you feel pain, that’s a sign that you need to back off and let your tissue heal some more. Your dentist/oral surgeon can give you more information about any special precautions you need to take depending on how your surgery went.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi!
When I got my wisdom teeth out, which was 10 days ago, I experienced a lot of complications. On the 2nd day, I swallowed one of my dissolvable stitches and I had to get thread stitches on the 3rd day. On the 5th day, they mostly fell out from the top. And after getting the thread stitches, I would bleed a little every night but not in the morning. Ok the 9th day, which was yesterday, my jaw got a little bit of an impact from someone bumping into it. But the thing is, the pain lasted the whole night and still continues to hurt and there’s a little swelling. And the swelling was not on the side of the thread stitches. I’m wondering if that’s a sign of an infection?
Thank you!
Hi there,
I had all four wisdom teeth extracted in two sittings over the past 6 weeks. One of the lower teeth was so deeply impacted that the dentist had to remove some bone to get at it. I was in considerable pain following the surgery and swelled up like a chipmunk for the next few days. I went back to have the stitches removed almost three weeks later (I also had to get a porcelain inlay in another tooth) and all seemed well. However, a week later (almost a month after the wisdom tooth removal/bone removal), my face/cheek/jaw had started to swell up hugely! It’s really quite sore and feels really hard, almost as if I have a golf ball in my jaw/cheek. Is this normal? There are no bad smells so I don’t think it’s infected. I find it odd as it seemed to be getting better, there was no swelling, and then, in the past few days, it’s been getting worse, more swollen and harder. Do you have any idea what’s going on? I’ve been taking ibuprofen but it’s making no difference. I hope you can help! Thanks. Gayle
Hi Gayle – It’s not normal to get swollen again a few weeks after the surgery. Perhaps an infection got in after the stitches were removed. In any case, it’s definitely something that you should check with your dentist about to see what’s going on. Hopefully it will get resolved.
I hope that helps, Gayle. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for the advice Tom! You were absolutely right about the infection. I went back to the dentist and yes, I had a pretty bad infection. He put me on a course of antibiotics for two weeks – a combination of amoxycillin and metronizadole and it’s pretty much ok now although I still feel there’s a bit of a lump there. I’m hopeful it will be 100% ok in a few weeks. Thanks again! Gayle
Hi Gayle – I’m glad everything’s working out. Good luck fighting off the infection!
Can my throat hurt after getting my wisdoms pulled and I rinsed my mouth softly like an hour after they got pulled
Hi,
I had my wisdom teeth out on Thursday and have had the usual pain and swelling, particularly on my left side. I am starting to worry today as the swelling has not gone down on the left side, and I can feel a (possibly fluid filled) lump on my cheek. It is preventing me from opening my mouth properly and I have only been able to eat soft food.
Is this normal? Should I go see my dentist tomorrow if it is still there?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Mary – Sometimes the swelling can take a long time to go down. It can take as long as a week for the swelling to resolve. If you have any questions specific to your treatment, I’d recommend calling your dentist. One of the side effects of getting a tooth pulled out can be the inability to open your mouth very wide at all.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Mary!
Hi, I got all 4 wisdom teeth pulled out on Wednesday morning but I still have trouble eating and drinking liquids because of my swollen cheeks but I was wondering if everything will be better by Sunday afternoon to eat not hard foods but just regular safe food comfortably. p.s What are exactly what you consider hard foods??
Hi Michael – Everyone heals at a different rate. The swelling should be going down by Sunday, but you may be still slightly swollen. We generally consider “hard foods” to be things like pretzels, chips, and any other hard things that could irritate your gums or get stuck and infected down where your teeth used to be.
I hope that helps! Thanks for your comment, Michael. Let me know if you have any other questions!
its been 3 days since i got mine taken out nd my mom says its getting worse i havent been taking the penicilin like im suppose to is that the problem nd i SERIOUSLY NEED YOUR HELP I LOOK LIKE A CHIPMUNK!!!!!!!!?????
Hi Jan – I’m not sure if the penicillin is the problem. The swelling can take some time to resolve, even up to a week. There are some suggestions above in the article that can help you under the heading How to Reduce Cheek Swelling After Wisdom Teeth Removal.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Jan. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I got all of my wisdom teeth extract yesterday. Nothing hurts except my cheek is almost like in my gum where my tooth used to be on the bottom side. So I can not chew with out causing pain. Is this normal?
Hi Pat – Depending where the tooth was located, it could cause you to bite your cheek for a while. If it concerns you or doesn’t resolve with healing, then it would be a good idea to have it looked at.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Pat. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I had lower impacted wisdom tooth extracted last Tues (4 days). Primary concern is that my jaw, tongue, mouth on that side still feels very numb after 3 days – is that normal? Wednesday, my jaw was really swollen, I generally felt beat up, and I commented on the numbness when I talked to my dentist Wed . Major problem: dental office open Mon-Thur – I’ve left 2 messages at his home – no response – probably out of town. Same dentist for 16 years – have excellent, trusting relationship – no one else to turn to. Extraction site doesn’t feel all that bad – I’m focused on the numbness – which may be a good thing or not. Could this be a drug reaction, or is it a result of the surgery? I just want to know if it’s normal to feel like the anesthetic is still active. Taking Rx: Hydrocodone (Vicodin) for pain; Cephalexin 500 mg antibiotic. p.s. I’m 72…need some PEACE.
Hi Nelia – The prolonged numbness sounds a lot like IA nerve paresthesia. This can occur after extraction of impacted wisdom teeth. Usually it is temporary and resolves within a few weeks/months. I would check with your dentist and see if he can offer you any advice on your specific situation.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Nelia. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Tom,
I had my teeth removed 5 days ago and have not experienced any inflammation of my cheeks. I feel very lucky, but I am curious as to how rare this is? As I understand it, inflammation is our bodies natural mechanism to fighting and healing areas of damage within the body. So is it in any way bad that my body did not mount an inflammatory response?
I promise, there has been NO inflammation at all 🙂
Thank you for your help.
Hi Lauren – The degree of inflammation depends a lot on where your wisdom teeth are located, how big they are, how developed they are, etc. If the dentist/surgeon doesn’t have to remove very much bone to get your wisdom teeth out, then you will likely not have very much inflammation. If the surgery is more invasive, there will probably be a lot more inflammation. I’ve taken out back teeth where we’ve had to remove bone, and the patient usually gets more inflammation then front teeth that come out very easily and heal quickly.
In any case, extracting teeth is a big deal – we’re removing an appendage from your body. You may have had a very slight amount of inflammation that wasn’t noticeable to you 🙂
I hope that helps – I can’t give an exact percentage, because everyone’s teeth are different and all oral surgeons have varying techniques that they use. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Lauren!
Hello Tom,
I had my 3 wisdom teeth removal on Monday. Only one side of my cheeks (Partial bony) starts swollen today (Tue). I have been eating yogurt and soup these days. Can I brush my teeth with toothpaste during healing? I am used to using dental floss to clean my teeth. I can’t do it due to the soreness of my cheek. I am afraid the wound will get infected if my teeth are not clean enough. when the sitches remove, do i need to be more careful of cleaning my mouth?
Thanks a lot.
Hi Chloey – We usually advise patients to brush their teeth, but to not brush near the extraction sites. It’s a good idea to be careful until healing is completed. We usually recommend mixing a small amount of salt with warm water and rinsing with that to clean out any food debris left in your mouth after eating. I have seen people who don’t brush their teeth at all eventually heal fine. If you’re in doubt, you might want to get in touch with your oral surgeon to see what they recommend.
I hope that helps, Chloey. Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions.
hi. i had all four wisdom teeth out last thursday. my left side is still kinda tender and swollen and i have noticed that i now have little skin flaps beside the first few back teeth on both top and bottom. is this a result of the swelling and will they go away once it subsides?
Hi Anna – The skin flaps are probably where the surgeon had to pull back the tissue in order to get your teeth out. Those will usually heal with time. The swelling means that your body is working to heal extraction areas.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Anna. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi,
I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed Monday and have been brushing and flossing as usual. I have noticed an odor and bad taste in my mouth since the surgery. Is this normal and how long will it last? I do not have a dry socket since I have no pain. I have also been rinsing my mouth with salt water and using the syringe every time I eat.
Hi Jeannie – This can be normal depending on how much surgery was involved to get the teeth out. Sometimes the blood along with the stitches can leave a bad taste in your mouth. I would imagine that it will go away soon – if not, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure there’s nothing wrong by checking with your oral surgeon/dentist.
Hi,
My daughter who is 18 did oral surgery to remove all of her wisdom teeth on July 21 2011. Her oral surgeon prescribed her course of steroid and antibiotics for post op care and healing. She didn’t have much of swelling and her pain was well managed by ibuprofen only for a week. Her stitches were disolved and each surgical sites were healed very well. there’s only one hole like depressed area on her left lower side. I made an appointment with her oral surgeon to check her surgical site healing status and depressed area on Aug 7 2011. Her surgeon said surgical sites healed really well and should not worry about depressed area. He instructed to flush with syringe provided for two more weeks. Now she left home in MA for her college at Ithaca NY. But then, she called me saying that her right cheek started to swell. She does not have any pain or fever on the swelling area. It’s not the side with depressed hole like area. Luckily I am still at Ithaca with my daughter and checked her cheek swelling. It felt harder than normal cheek and swelling was not big. When I looked at inner side of swelling area it looked swollen toward teeth and skin color was whiter than normal pink color. I am thinking to take her to dentist making emergency appointment asap. But when I read web info I can probably use warm/hot towel or pad to the area to improve swelling. Could you please give me any suggestions? Thank you in advance!
Hi Miyoung – Yes, that can reduce normal swelling after wisdom teeth removal, but it sounds like your daughter’s swelling isn’t normal and there’s something else going on that is causing the swelling. I hope everything got worked out at her emergency dental appt.
hi i got my wisdom teeth removed on the 31st it is now the 1st, on the left side it feels like i have flap of my gum on the side of my back tooth it also has a white colour to it. is this normal?
Hi Jenelle – It is likely that the surgeon had to cut int your gum tissue and make a flap in order to remove the tooth. It should eventually heal. If you have any concerns, I would talk with your oral surgeon/dentist directly.
I hope that helps, Jenelle – Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions.
I had my wisdom teeth taken out on the 14th of July. My cheek was swollen so badly that I couldn’t eat solids for nearly 2 weeks, and in the end I got a part of my swollen cheek removed (like chopped off). Then it was fine for awhile. It’s now September 4th, and It’s swollen again… any suggestions or tips or advice?
Hi Thomas – If it is swollen again, my only advice is that there’s something wrong, so you should go get it checked out by your oral surgeon/dentist.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Thomas.
I had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled yesterday & my right cheek is swollen. I have read your responses above & I now know its normal. Should I use hot or cold pack on the cheek first? I have also read to use the packs in 20min intervals, is that sound advice? I took my hydrocodone for pain and etodoloc for inflimation as soon as I saw the swelling. Also, how will I brush my teeth; I have braces & I know they need to be brushed even though I have not eatin solid foods? Help! You’ve a big help for me above, my mind is at ease about the swelling I just want it reduced. Thank u in advance for your help!
hey, im fifteen and im in highschool. I just got my wisdom teeth removed and the swelling is starting to go down but there is a lump in my left cheek, it doesnt hurt or anything, but it definately takes away from my appearance, i was just wondering if its normal or not?
Hi I had my wisdom teeth out on Thursday morning. I am still in a lot of pain I have woke up this morning and my face seems more swollen than ever. I have got a nasty taste in my mouth it’s making me feel sick and I have smelly breath. Please can I have yr advice.
I am doing a sponsored 6k jog today do u think I will be ok?
Many Thanks
Hayley
Hi Hayley, I’m no professional by any means, but I just had my wisdom teeth removed from top and bottom on right side of my mouth. I had complications with my bottom tooth and it caused an infection which caused really bad breath. I would go back to the dentist/oral surgeon to get it checked out because I had to go into immediate surgery when they found the infection to drain it. I haven’t been able to eat since Tuesday when I got my teeth pulled and it is now Saturday with really bad pain and swelling. I can’t even open my mouth to eat/drink/brush my teeth and barely talk. I hope what happened to me does not happen to you and good luck.
~Heather.
Hi,
i had 1 wisdom tooth removed 3 days ago. it was buried deep and took an hour to remove. They had to cut quite a bit of bone and gum away.
i am pretty swollen which is to be expected however the part that was stitched has swollen over the top of my teeth, and now each time I talk it starts to bleed.
Some people may be happy that I haven’t been able to talk! although i’m concerned this is effecting the healing. Is this normal or should I go back and see the surgeon?
thanks
I am no doctor or nurse but I would return to the doctor or at least give them a call ASAP. I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth and stayed swollen pretty long due to that but I never experienced the symptoms you have stated. Keep me posted on your recovery and I do hope you feel better soon. I will be thinking of you.
My aunt is 55yrs old she had removed her teeth 4 days before, the next day it starts swollen, however still swelling! one of neighbor given me advice eating Ice cream is best option for swollen get heal quickly. Is that good suggestions? but i was scare of septic taking cold items. But she takes proper medicine by doctors advice. Does it will take swelling to go down slowly?
Hey I got my wisdom tooth extracted on Friday, I m very sick now, it hurts still and I feel dizzy all the time, I m so weak 🙁 I cant eat or drink…everytime I try to eat, I feel a terrible pain ..what should I do??? I m taking some medicine 2 times a day but I dont think Im getting any better …
And the dentist didnt mention anything about rinsing with a warm salted water… Should i do that ? Does it burn or hurt? Im so scared ,people ..this is really bad
Rinsing with salt water is a good idea 1/2 teaspoon to 4 0z of warm water , it will help to keep the site clean and fush out any food that might get in to your site. It also helps with pain and sweeling
I got all 4 my out on march 1st its now march 5th almost the 6th… and im still haveing pain (not alot) and still really cant eat anything but for soft foods such as pudding and so on starting suck cuz I really went some real food!!
and i still have little bit of puffyness and soonist my dr can get me in is the 7th.. everyone is saying I have dry shocket and im soo worried now I do.. But im not sure cuz like I said im not in pain to where I cant stand it.
what do you think could it just be taking a little while for me to heal up?? Pain seems be staying at the same everyday and I cant fully open my mouth yet which i heard before ill be able open my mouth all the way could take up to two weeks which that sucks there to lol
Hi again Tom!
I got my second extraction on March 8 and it’s March 14 here. I regularly take a look at the stitches, check them out whether they’re still there or not. But I just checked and one of the stitches is gone and the gum is now open but there’s no blood flowing out. Should I be worried for this? Do I need to get another stitch?
I had 1 wisdom tooth Removed this past monday and my cheecks are just now starting to go down , I was told to apply heat but when i do they become really puffy .
Wondering if heat can cause inflamtion to become worse ?
Ice seems to help it better then heat
Hi,
I got all four wisdom teeth out on Friday the 8th. It has been three days now and I have iced, heated, salt and water, mouth wash, antibiotics etc. but my cheeks are still puffy. I noticed tonight while applying my sockit oral hydrogel wound dressing some white puss coming from my back lower right side.
I’m worried if I could already have an infection, or what is going on?
Also why are my cheeks still so puffy/ in pain?
Any help would be amazing!
Hi, I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out exactly a week ago and the 2 on the right side arnt giving me any issues but my left side is throbbing and it hurts. I am done taking all of my steroids pack, amoxocillen, and have tried not to taking anymore hydros, nut the pain is bothering me and I think most of it is coming from my cheek, it hurts to touch it on that side and I can’t eat on that side, and it makes it hard to open my mouth because of pain as well. Is that normal for the cheek to hurt more then the tooth after a week of surgery?
Hi. I had 2 wisdom teeth removed on Thursday evening at around 17.30pm they were both lower teeth and since the extraction my face is up like a balloon on both sides. The right side does seem to be worse than the left and i just cannot sleep as the pain is so bad. It feels like i am carrying a huge weight around my face it is that swelled and heavy. My right side bottom lip is still numb as is my chin on the right side. I was prescribed codeine as my main pain killer, paracetomol, ibruprofen and antibiotics and nothing seems to take the pain away. I am also gently swilling my mouth out with salt water. Is all of this normal?
My 4 wisdom teeth are removed and my lower cheek has been broken and been put a lil forward ..
My english isnt that good but I read all of these storys
My surgery was 11 july 2012 and my cheek is veeeery swollen ..
Ive got a bad headache because of the weight that Ive to carry..
I cant eat anything Ive to drink special drinks to fill my stomach
I hope the swollen cheeks will get less swollen soon 🙂
hi, i just had 4 wisdom teeth pulled on tuesday 7/17/12.my cheeks are swollen now i don’t have allot of pain.i was wondering when can i put my retainer in again.do you think it will still fit my teeth.thanks sara
hi
i had one upper wisdom tooth removed three days ago, and yesterday a lower jaw normal tooth started giving me fairly bad pain, on the same side of my mouth as the wisdom tooth, i have also got flu like symptoms(swollen glands,headache, and feel pretty crap). The extraction wasn’t that painful and didn’t take long, the tooth wasn’t impacted, and i only had local anaestethic, there was no swelling or bleeding, and felt fine for the first two days after extraction. wondering if i have some sort of infection??
Hi Tom, I’ve had two of my wisdom teeth removed. The one on lower jaw was horizontally impacted in my bone. The doctor had to drill the bone, cut the tooth into two and then take them out. On the day of surgery after 8 hours I had blood clots coming I put soaked gauze pad for 30 mins the bleeding stopped. And then after 4 hours it started to bleed again, blood clots almost felt like flesh. I’m on anti biotics too. Second day it didn’t bleed. Now today is the third day, swelling is there and the pain is bearable. Is there any chance that I might have dry socket since I lost my blood clots twice. Thank you.
Had a coronectomy on my lower wisdom a week ago. went hosp today as agony last night, treated me for dry socket and she said my cheek is swollen over my back tooth, so when I eat I am biting onto my lip. At time was so worried the dry socket didnt think to ask of the swollen cheek really.
Will my cheek go back to normal on its own once swelling reduces or will I have to have further treatment for this now? It looks a bit white there instead of pink where the over lapping of the cheek is on the back tooth.
Hey Tom, i had my wisdom teeth removed on Monday 13th so its been 3 full days, i am still swollen and soar, and the soarness seems to be more on the side of my mouth up to my head then in my teeth. im using salt water rinse 4-5 times a day and taking amoxacillin to prevent infection. im just worried about getting dry socket, i have disolvable sutures also. what are my chances of getting dry socket? i had a hard time stopping the bleeding after sugury, took about 24 hours to fully stop
i got my wisdom teeth removed about three days agao and my left side is non-swolen while my right cheek is swollen…??
What does this mean?
Hey,
Well my question is that day before yesterday my wisdom tooth as taken off…and the swelling is still and it’s getting more and more it has reached to my eye.under my eye there is swelling as well.Could you please tell me if it’s normal.
Hi Tom I Had 5 teeth out the other day and my right side is still swallen and been rinsing my mouth 5 times a day with salt water, and the swelling is getting me down and I start new job next week, what can I do?
Hi! It is now my 3rd day post-op and the inflammation that I have is really big. At first day it was just like a swollen cheek then on the 2nd and 3rd day it is now covering a half of my neck. Half of my chin is also swollen but all the swollen sites are near the extraction point. Is it normal to have this big of a swollen area? Thank you I am just worried because I don’t know if I have infection or something since there is no pus
Hi.i found this site very useful.i had the 6th and 7th tooth on the lower right handside of my mouth extracted and have since been feeling some kind of funny substance on the tougne and odor from that side of the mouth even for abt 4 hours after brusing.would a fixed bridge on that side help resolve this problem.thank you.
THIS IS DAY ONE OF MY WISDOM TOOTH BEING PULLED AND IM IN ALOT OF PAIN – THEY RXED ME A PAIN MED WHICH IS NOT TOUCHING THE PAIN – ALSO MY JAW IS SWOLLEN (I CAN BARELY OPEN IT) AND ITS BRUISED – I PUT HEAT ON IT LAST NIGHT AND HAVE BEEN USING WARM SALT WATER – WHAT ELSE CAN I DO AND WHEN WILL THIS GET BETTER?
Hi,
I had my wisdom tooth removed 6 months ago. Is it normal to still feel pain in spot where the tooth was?. There is no open wound there…
Thanks
Hi Tom,
I got my wisdom teeth (#16) removed on 11/5/12. The dentist left piece of my root tip near sinus. The fist two days,it’s not too bad. But later my cheek started swelling, I felt like I had a toothache. It wake me up at nights. Today the painfull over,the healing is good.
My question is , do I need to see the surgeon to take out the root tip?
I just got 2 of my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday but only one side got swollen what does that mean??
i just got 4 tooth taken … 2 tooths 11days back.. and 2 tooth 4 days back… but a teeth wich i hav taken 11 days back still got swelling … and 2 teeth which are taken 4 days back it still got much swelling..!! what should i do.. is it a infection..!!
Ived had braces on for a little over a year. I had two wisdom teeth pulled on 9/29/12. The pain from the surgery went away but now have extreme pain on a crown thats the second to last. It has no bracket holding it to the braces. Could it be that my teeth are pushing back and the crown is not because of the missing bracket?? If thats the case, then why dont the rest of my teeth hurt at all??
Hi! so, I got 4 of my wisdom teeth out yesterday, and today my face is really sore. and when i put a icepack on it, it kinda hurts aswell. and i find that my breath is stinky, but i cant brush my teeth yet because im so afraid of getting a dry socket!. i just wanted to know if it was normal. 🙂 im kinda nervous about this whole thing
I had my wisdom teeth pulled out 6 days ago and I can’t really see into the extraction site as one side is sutured while the other side has a hole that’s not large enough to acually look into but there is a small lump on the inside of my cheek that feels like it’s hanging next to my gums. My oral surgeon said that its normal and should go away soon but I’m still worried about it. Is it normal? And also, how would I be able to tell if they’re healing properly if I can’t really see the extraction sites? I can’t even tell it the clots are still there since its impossible to see inside. Sorry for the long post but I get paranoid about this kind of stuff.
Hi, Tom. I really don’t know what to think– I had my four wisdom teeth taken out 15 days ago and since then, and now my face doesn’t look the same as it used to. The part of the face where the bottom jaw and the chin are looks different now, and the whole bottom of the face looks much wider than it used to, and completely shapeless. The dentist told me after the operation that they had to take part of my jaw out when they did it, and that they put collagen in there to make up for the loss of it. I’m concerned that since I’ve basically recovered from the operation, I’m going to look like this forever. My face looks round and stupid, and 15 days later, I don’t think I can chalk it up to swelling. Have you ever seen this before? I’m upset.
I just got all four of my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday, and I had a question.
I’ve been trying to eat solid foods, and it doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, I feel completely fine while chewing. So is it alright for me to continue eating solid foods?
i got 4 of my wisdom teeth out fri (its sat nite) and my cheeks are a bit puffy but i also noticed bruising on the inside of my cheaks they are a little hard and tender
i also noticed it is painful to try to open or close my mouth (i cant fully open or close my mouth)
is this normal? also should i apply heat packs instead of ice packs now?
also
alot of my other teeth in my mouth are sore as if i just had braces tightened
So i got my lower left wisdom tooth taken out two days ago and it is now the third day and i have been smoking ciggs, it was swollen bad on the second day but i have been rinsing with salt water since the second day and most of the swelling has gone down besides a little at the bottom of my cheek on the outside but the inside seems to be getting swollen and just sore on my outer cheek and in the inside near the extracted tooth i am still not able to really eat much could the ciggs be making it worst? Should i stop? There is no more bleeding though and a lot less pain since I’ve been taking my antibiotics and Vicodin. Will the ciggs give me an infection or slow down the healing process? Please give me answers and is there anything else i can do to reduce swelling?
Also my gums by the extracted tooth is white but i dont believe it is puss since it hasnt moved at all but is that normal and will it go away?
I’m not sure if somebody asked this allready…
But please spare with me..
I’m a final year medical student.
My doc took my left lower wisdom tooth out, 3 days back.
It was impacted,and doc told he had to take it with some effort from the bone..
I had some swelling all over the face,but it decreased now.
But my problem is, i can still palpate, a firm swelling over my mandible,fixed,non tender,not palpable from mouth. Its about 3*4 size oval shape.
And its too obvious on my face..
I dont know what it is!! Is it a lymph node? Or as i fear a heamatoma? 😐
please give an advise..
Will it go away,like the rest of the edema?
Thanks tom..
Did you ever find out what this was. I’m so scared about the same thing
I just had my wisdom teeth removed 4 hours ago and only one side is swelling, no pain but my gums are still bleeding pretty bad. My dentist told me to use the tea bag method and it’s still bleeding~ I’m currently using a coldpress right now and it seems to be helping.
Any suggestions?
Am I suppose to be using a cold compress this easily?
What can I eat, I’m starving ! >_<
Hey Tom,
Just had a quick question. I recently had my two bottom wisdom teeth pulled out on Thursday March 15th and it is now Saturday March 17th. My left cheek is inconceivably swollen, and it really looks like I’m growing a second head. But, I just wanted to know, is it normal for it to feel hot? If I touch the outside of my left cheek where it’s swollen, it feels almost as if I have a fever in just that spot. Is this normal? I am on antibiotics but I does not seem like it’s getting any better.
Hi Tom,
I got all 4 wisdom teeth out, but one side of my jaw still has a lot of pain. i go back to the dentist and after the fourth time of my return to see whats wrong, she finally told me i had an infection, i was already on axomicillin, then they tried to put me on Clindamycin which i could not stomach that. I have something draining from the side that hurts and my jaw feels stiff and hurts, what can i do? I have flushed the food out and still taking the amoxicillin going to 2 weeks. Please help.
Thanks SO much for this information… it really helped alleviate a lot of worry in regards to my healing process. I keep experiencing a lot of swelling in the mornings and was worried it was getting worse, but your advice about getting out of bed made a lot of sense and seems to have helped a bit. Hoping it gets better!
My daughter had all 4 wisdom teeth removed 3 days ago and her swelling only seems to be getting worse.
She had an air bubble form in the lining of her cheek after she coughed and had to gently blow her nose.
She called her doctor and he said it would work its way out. She thinks the air bubble is just moving around.
It feels like it is up in her temple area applying pressure and causing more pain. She called her doctor again too see if this was abnormal and what to do. He just belittled her over the phone. I can’t find any information about these air pockets online. Any suggestions? We are worried.
I have the same problem, my inner mouth with both side surfaces form bubbles after I took off I my wisdom teeth. It’s so irritating, sometime I bites my mouth ( the bubbles) and if I slept on the side of my face, it form teeth lining mark ( red inflammation), sometime even became a little open wound. I need help. There anyway can resolve these bubbles. This is continue surfer. Contact me if you can help or advise.
I have the same problem, my inner mouth with both side surfaces form bubbles after I took off I my wisdom teeth. It’s so irritating, sometime I bites my mouth ( the bubbles) and if I slept on the side of my face, it form teeth lining mark ( red inflammation), sometime even became a little open wound. I need help. There anyway can resolve these bubbles. This is continue surfer. Contact me if you can help or advise. It been almost two years after wisdom teeth took off..
1 year ago I got my molar extracted and now at that site it is swollen and there is a irritating pain and it hurts to swallow sometimes. What is wrong? Do I have an infection or abscess or is it both???
Hey,
I’m so glad this Is here. I got my wisdom teeth taken out on Monday its now Wednesday, My sister and I got our wisdom teeth taken at the same time. I needed more stitches, mine were harder to take out says the doctor and I have a bruise on the left side my face close to my chin. There is a piercing pain in my left ear and in my throat on the left side. That side Is the most swollen of the two the right side is not that bad. Its getting better so I’m not worried but does that all sound normal? my dentist is closed for the 4th also so I’m waiting on a call back.
I just had the two wisdom teeth on my left side pulled out on Saturday July 6th and today is the 8th. I understand the swelling is normal, but is it normal for pain to go straight up to my ear? It’s a little tender to the touch and a little painful like an earache.
are there any remedies to lower the swelling faster
Hi, thanks this information was great. My daughter’s swelling has been rather substantial and knowing that it is because she is lying down a lot is a relief. Lots of terrific information and nice picture.
I had 2 of my wisdom teeth removed a week ago my top 2 and on the left side there is still swelling but not puffyness and I’m having alot of trouble opening my mouth is it normal
So I just had all four wisdom teeth out Wednesday morning..all impacted too. It is now Friday night and my face is pretty swollen still..:( ! Wednesday it WASNT swollen. Then Thursday it started to swell, to the point I couldn’t close my mouth..like touch my teeth together. So yeahh, it’s Friday evening now and my face is still swollen..but I can close my mouth pretty much now. Wwwhen will the swelling go down?? And when should I stop using ice packs?? I’ve had Ice on my face basically since late Wednesday evening. It feels way better with something cold on my cheeks. Is the ice causing swelling? Or is it normal? And when do I start rinsing with salt water? I haven’t had to much pain though. And I’ve only taken one dose of the Vicodin and like one or two of ibuprofen. Just swelling. I look like I have PB & J’s stuffed in my mouth. Please help!
Hi , I got my wisdom teeth out Friday and today is Sunday , my cheeks are really swollen and my mouth I swelled on the inside also where I can’t close my mouth all the way , and it still really hurts . Is this normal ?
Hello Tom I just got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday, it’s the second day and I used an ice pack, can I get an infection? can I eat chinese food like chowmein? or bread with milk? if not any recommendations? how long until the swelling is gone for good? how do I know if it’s infected? I got some meds for infection but don’t know if I should already be taking them?
Hi Tom,
I had oral surgery August 5 for a impacted wisdom tooth which has a cyst around it. So she didnt remove the wisdom tooth because she said she wanted to drain the cyst, she put a tube in my mouth so she can have easier ascess to drain the cyst. So I now have to go every monday for 3 months to have the cyst drained and every monday she put a needle in my mouth in the tube to drain the cyst. The thing is she told me the swelling should be gone in a week, its been 8 days and my face is the same as it was on day 4. How can the swelling healed completely if she keep putting a huge needle in my mouth every monday. My question to you is my face gonna stay like this forever, is there anything I can do to make the swelling go down faster. Please help Im panicking!
Hi I has to get 4 wisdom teeth out almost 48hours ago and my cheecks are extremely sore! I have been taking all my medication and using ice packs but I was never told anything about heat, will heat help it heal quicker than an ice pack or do I continue with what I’ve been doing, btw I’m 17 and I had to get a lot of bone removed in from my left lower tooth.
Hello, It’s been about 2 months since the time my wisdom teeth had been pulled. The swelling happened as planned and stayed for a good 4-5 days prior. But starting yesterday morning, my right bottom gum had a weird, inflamed feeling to it. And today my right cheek has swelled up once again about double the regular size. Why is this?
Hi Tony – It’s hard to say without having an exam. It would be a good idea to get an appointment with your dentist to have this looked at. It is possible that the site may still be open and could have gotten infected. Other possibilities are that you have a gum infection or an infection in another tooth. I hope that helps. Thanks for your comment!
Hey, Tom. I thought I would comment to get some feedback from you as it has been 16 hours (as of 2:32 AM) since I had all four wisdom teeth extracted. I’m not concerned about the swelling of my cheeks and having limited movement of my mouth, but what I am concerned about is trying to sleep (hence the current time), as well as if my wound will open after the stitches have been dissolved. As soon as I got home from my operation, I iced the numbing of my chin and bottom lip and stopped the bleeding about 6-8 hours later. As a result, blood clots have formed. During that time and after, I was told to take Tylenol #3 for pain, and amoxicillin for infection. I figured once I’ve taken the max amount of medication, I would sleep and wait the next several hours to rinse my mouth. Anyways, to my point…I cannot sleep due to the pain in my mouth. I’m already sitting upright and trying to get a feel of sleeping this way, but it isn’t working for me, doc. What do I do?
Hello I’m Misheel I got my wisdom teeth out but my cheek got swollen lot but I have no pain in my checks how to treat my cheek get better
I had my wisdom teeth pulled a week ago and the stitches have since dissolved. On my lower left side though, where one tooth was removed, my cheek is protruding over my gum and seems to be stuck to it. Is this normal? It’s by far the area that hurts the worst and I can’t seem to get my cheek “unstuck” or get a finger in between my cheek and gum. Any advice? Thanks!
If its been two days and I’m not bleeding or in pain would it be okay to smoke again? And just take it easy?
Hi Tom. I am 50 years old. I got my right up wisdom tooth removed because a periodontal treatment. It was 6 days ago, and still my cheek is swollen. I am not able to open my mouth wide yet and I have another extraction in 4 days. Do I need to wait or keep with my extraction schedule? Thanks.
Hi Dorys – It would be a good idea to call your dentist/oral surgeon to check and see if they’d like you to keep your appointment or wait some more. Limited opening is common following extractions and it will normally get better with time.
hi there,
One of my wisdom teeth in the lower jaw was removed yesterday and the area is all swollen now. but what im thinking is that is it necessary to remove the wisdom tooth on the other side as well?
Regards,
Aneesha
Hello Tom! Nice blog, it’s great to see that you’re so prompt with answering people’s questions!
I have one myself.
This is the 3rd day since I’ve had my impacted lower wisdom tooth removed… My cheek is still pretty swollen and I’m experiencing mild to “average” pain… It’s bearable, but I prefer to still take ibuprofen.
My concern comes from feeling a… _different_ taste in my mouth on occasions… It’s not blood, and I’m afraid that it might be pus. I looked inside my mouth, and where the stitches go into my cheek, there’s a red, inflamed spot.
Besides being swollen, my cheek is also somewhat numb or tingly, and I get a weird blunt pain spreading towards my ear and the bottom of my jaw.
Also, I measured 99°F, which is not very high but still made me wonder.
Does this sound like an infection to you? Do you think I go see the surgeon before my stitches-removal appointment (which is in 5 days)?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Krikiriki – Great name! The different taste could possibly be from some food getting caught back around the extraction site. That normally works its way out. It is normal to have some redness around the area where the teeth were taken out and the swelling sounds fairly normal so far.
As far as it being an infection, things sound fairly normal, but only your oral surgeon will be able to properly answer that for you. If you are concerned, it would be a good idea to give them a call and see if they want to see you since they are aware of your medical history and any other problems that could have occurred during the extractions. I hope that helps!
Thank you very much for a quick reply, I feel quite relieved. I will go and check with the doctor! Cheers!
Thank you for this helpful information. I was given two suggestions on how to get rid of the swelling, one from the dentist that performed my extraction and the other from the dentist that I work for. The latter believed that the swelling was from something that did or did not do. I am more relieved now that I’ve read this article. Thanks again.
I had my teeth taken out 3 months ago and my cheeks keep dipping inwards keeps sucking into the space and it’s starting to hurt with ulcers coming up. I am using salt water and feel abit of a slight temperature. I had many lots of anti biotics and they refused me any more but, I am tired of the problem with sucking my cheeks inwards I hope it won’t go on forever as I feel like i have no teeth left as one side had to have a toothe taken out after the wisdom teeth removed as it exploded into pieces when they removed my tooth( yet they said oh it was damaged anyway) I believe they messed up broke it as I was in pain and went oh she won’t notice. I did and do notice and I am really frustrated as feel like I have no teeth left.They said oh you would have needed root fillings etc etc on that tooth I htink it’s a case of money for old rope!I miss my tooth and they say eventhough on ESA it will cost me £900 if I want a new tooth fitted? hmm really I am sure I am being over charged what do I do my face is hot feel dreadful on a sunday and just feel cranky, the pain often starts up. it tarted up after i went out int he cold weather for 2 days and now it’s just absolutely hell. any ideas? I am goign with salt water and pain killers but…I can’t stay indoors forever.
the surgery was aggressive as I waited a week and had teeht removed both sides in a short space of time. plus a filling as well. I feel very gummy right now any help welcome please thanks. i will try to make a dental appointment also.yet, they don’t want to give me load sof anti biotics as had so many recently
Hi i had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted monday an todays the third day an my face is ten times swallon then yesterday an my ears keep ringing going deaf an draining.. Also i feel lik rhey swelling is going to my eyes an they gett blurry on an off is this bad ? An what should i do?
Hi. I just got all four of my wisdom teeth out today. My cheeks are alittle swollen. Though the right corner of my mouth and the area on the chin right beneath it is significantly swollen. Why is it that my bottom lip and chin but only on the right side is far more swollen than the rest of my face. Will it go away and what can i do to reduce the swelling
Hi, I just had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out on Dec 30th and it is now Jan 2nd and my right side of my face is still swollen. The swelling went down on my left side and it looks normal. Is it normal for there to only be swelling on one side of my face? also the bleeding had stopped yesterday, but when woke up this morning it had started again. Is that normal? Only the right side of my face hurts. Should I contact my oral surgeon, or will this go away?
I had my wisdom teeth taken out about a week and a half ago and all my stitches just came out yesterday but on my lower one where they took it out there still is swelling it’s almost like a muscle or tendon or whatever is in you lower jaw or cheek and it’s swelled is it normal ??
I had my wisdom teeth removed the week of New Years.
It’s now the 26th of March and recently I’ve noticed my left cheek is slightly swollen—still.
My wounds are all healed, so I don’t know what it could be. There’s not any pain, just the uncomfortableness of swelling.
Is there something wrong? I did everything I was told to do.. Should I just apply ice again? I don’t really know what to do. If you could help me that’d be great.
Hey, got all 4 teeth pulled yesterday, face hurts very swollen and in pain, I have somewhere to go Thursday today is Friday , do you think the swelling will be down by then?
20 days ago, I had both of my bottom wisdom teeth pulled. They were impacted pretty bad and the doctor said they were rated as “class 2.” He advised that he had to cut the bone to remove both teeth and were taken out in pieces. During the surgery, he advised me that he rubbed a nerve and that I would not be able to feel a part of my face for a couple of weeks. He said that if I don’t feel anything after 30 days, I should go back to see him.
So far, the bottom left side of my lip is still numb. Is that normal? If it is, how long does it normally take for the feeling to come back? I can’t ask my surgeon because his office is in another country so I will not have an opportunity to contact him for a while. If I see a different Doctor, would he be able to fix it?
Another problem I have is that I woke up today and the left side of my face swelled up again. The swelling was almost gone on both sides of my face before this. I felt around and there is a significant increase in size from the way it was yesterday and the size of the left side of my face. I haven’t been able to chew with the left side of my mouth yet, only the right and I can’t open my mouth very wide anymore. Is this normal? is there any precautions I should take?
P.S. You’re running a great project here. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.
I’ve been suffering pain because of my growing wisdom teeth. Upper left and right. My mom and i went to the dentist awhile ago to ask what cause of this too much swollen cheeks. He’s told us that Pus is starting to show off. He gave me a antibiotic to kill the bacteria. Im kinda afraid what will happen soon.
Hi,
I just got my wisdom teeth pulled on Thursday May 22 and my cheeks are still very swollen and it feels like my cheeks just keep getting bigger. I take my medication and put ice but I still have a lot of pain. How long will my cheeks be swollen and puffy for? And since I have pain does it mean it’s infected? And I can hardly open my mouth to eat.
Help?
Hi!
I am 17 years old and have just got my wisdom teeth removed wednesday june 11 I am about two days in healing. I can kind of chew now but my cheeks are super puffy, especially the right one. Is it normal for one cheek to be bigger than another? Also, when exactly will this swelling stop? I am using warm compress and cold against my cheeks but it doesn’t seem to be helping Thanks!
Hi Arlesia – Sometimes it can take several days for the swelling to go down. It is normal for one cheek to be bigger than the other. For example, one of your wisdom teeth may have been buried deep in your bone, while the one on the other side may have been barely under your gums. Over time the swelling should go down. If it doesn’t, it would be good to contact your dentist or surgeon who removed the teeth. I hope that helps!
had 23 teeth removed dec20. 13 when I applied cold compress my cheeks felt swollen but went down I applied hot compress the swelling came back the dentist was very rude and acted like i didnt know what i was taiking about when he looked in my mouth he saw it and said he did not cut any nerve the assisant said it will go away in three months its now seven months the swelling is getting worst I am very concerned I also have jaw pain which he did not address when I have the dentures on I dont feel the swelling but when I try chewing the swelling gets worst so I just have liquids diet can u tell me why this is happening the gum under my cheek feels higher than the other parts I get a slight pain when I brush my gums not as much as before is that normal its now seven months
Hi, I’m 19
I got my four wisdom teeth removed all at once about 2 months ago, and I was wondering if it was normal for my face not to have returned quite to its normal size before the operation? There isn’t a MAJOR difference but my family and I can still see that my face is slightly puffier.
Will it return to it’s normal size eventually?
Hello. Im 21 years old i had all four of my wisdom teeth removed the bottom two were completely erupted and the top two were partially erupted. I got them removed due to bad headaches and ear aches they were causing for months (took a long time to realize it could be mh teeth) it is the 8th day and im still having bad tension headaches. Is it possible the inflammation is causing these awful headaches? My right cheek/jaw is sort of puffy still and aches. Please let me know!
doc
my wisdom tooth has been extracted..but now its almost 1 weeks since I have a puffy chick..I dont know what to do now..my dentist didn’t reply to my messages coz its really hard for me to go to her office..what I will going to do..
I got my wisdom teeth removed 3 days ago and is it normal to be biting down on your cheek when biting down? I am scared and hope it is not a permanent thing.
My friend had her wisdom tooth pulled a week ago, and she is still in alot of pain, cheek still swollen, hard to get any sleep because it keeps her up…any struggle on what to do for the swollen and pain
Hi, tomorrow will be a week after my wisdom teeth removal, I still have no feeling in my right cheek and it is puffy and hard to eat. It is just very numb and I can’t feeling anything on that side of my mouth. I don’t know if this is normal or if I have nerve damage or something. what do you think?
My checks are red and hot after my wisdom teeth were extracted. Is this normal?
Hey, I just had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed about 14 hours ago and my cheeks swelling went down basically back to normal. Is that it for my swelling or has it not started yet? Should I be concerned? Or since I had ACL surgery about 5 months ago is my body just taking the healing like it’s no big deal? Thank you in advance.
P.s. What is the average recovery time I know it’s different for everyone but a rough estimate would be nice.
Hi Tom,
I had four wisdom teeth removed yesterday, and I have some swelling along with slight pain. I was prescribed amoxicillin, before the surgery to take afterward, and was wondering what the likelihood of becoming infected without taking it is. I generally end up with very aggressive yeast infections orally as well as vaginally after taking antibiotics, so I try and avoid them as they are very hard to treat.
I remove one wisdom teeth I got to much swelling in mouth
But I got cifixam tablets fair that I use 6 day I well now
I had my wisdom tooth pulled on Monday and it is now Friday. The swelling went down a lot almost not noticeable but now I feel like a semi hard lump in my cheek in front of the extraction point. Is this normal? Could it just be from the trama of the surgery. The tooth was impacted and he said it was difficult to get out. I went to the dentist yesterday for a check up and he said everything looked good inside, butI didn’t notice the hard lump until today. Oh yeah I been on antibiotics for 7 days
Thank you, john
Hi there. Its been four weeks since my impaction surgery but i worry much because my other cheek is still swollen. Its not painful inside but every time I touch my cheek It really hurts. Ive been taking anti inflammatory drugs but it doesn’t work at all. 7 days antibiotic almost done . its not good at all cause I feel bad about it. It feels like the half of my face is bigger. 🙁 HELP PLEASE
Hi Tom
I’might in the UK and had a lower left impacted wisdom tooth removed on Wednesday morning. It is now Friday morning. I’m taking 4-hourly ibuprofens for the pain as well as salt water washes and Corsodyl. The swelling is possibly beginning to subside slightly. However this extends to my neck area (giving me a wattle – I’m thin so don’t normally have one!) and this morning my voice is going, and it is sore to the touch around the area of the left gland. I don’t have a cold that would cause this sore throat etc.
I’d be grateful for your comments.
Many thanks.
Can i workout and do physical activity the 3rd day of getting two of my wisdom teeth out or is it going to make my cheeks mire swollen??
Can i workout on the third day or Will this cause my cheeks to get moré swollen?
Hi Tom
I had my wisdom teeth extracted 6 hours ago and I don’t have any swollen cheeks. I just want to know if it Wil swell during the night and how I can prevent it?
It is currently Tuesday , I got all 4 wisdom teeth removed Saturday at 2pm .. My face is still swollen , I have not gone to school nor work , I just need this swelling to leave ASAP because I have many responsibilities to attend to. I wish I could just lay here with no worries yet I can’t for my state of mind is worried on my money & education. Wha Can help my swelling reduce quickly ?
Ok so I had my two bottom wisdom teeth pulled on the 25th of last month the swelling had went away but this morning I woke up and my right cheek was swollen more then is was when they got pulled out! My teeth are hurting really bad and they are very sensitive and its giving me a head ache I was wondering should I go see me dentist or will it go away on its own?
How will I know if my jaw is fractured? My right wisdom tooth was extracted Tuesday and now its Friday, the pain in my jaw is getting worse everyday, I have taken Advil and naproxen and still no relief, it hurts so bad I can’t sleep or even eat, I feel like I want to pass out from pain, its even hurting the right side of my head, my right eye, and jaw area
Hi Tom,
I got all 4 of my impacted wisdom teeth removed 12 days ago. My left side looks like it’s healing nicely, but my right side is giving me trouble. My right cheek is still swollen, it has gone down a bit but it’s still big, and the gum on my lower right where the extraction was is swollen as well– it looks like it has tiny bubbles or flaps. The swelling on the gum makes it hard for me to find the hole with the syringe when I am trying to clean it. No bleeding anymore, and I haven’t noticed any pus. I’m not really in pain either anymore, just sore. I’m wondering if this is all normal or if I should be worried about infection on the lower right side. I was told by my surgeon to stop taking the antibiotic because I was having a reaction to it, so I’m not on any meds. I’ve been using warm compresses but it’s not making much of a difference. I’m allergic to ibuprofen so I haven’t been taking that for the swelling, just extra-strength tylenol. Any help you can offer is appreciated! Thanks.
I had two mollars taken out about a month ago yet there is still a small part of my cheek bone swollen under the area i took out the two mollars. I am worried on how to get it down. I feel very little pain when i touch it. And i am also about to go and take out another two mollars on the same lower side. Am confused dont know what to do. I took the medications as precribed at the time after removal and yet month has passed.
I got 3 of my wisdom teeth pulled back in August 2014 and about a week ago (November) my bottom left side of my cheek began to swell up again as if i going through the process of healing still. I’m not having any problems chewing or biting down. Is this a normal healing process? Can i take something for the swelling to go down? Please help!
Hey, I just had six impacted wisdom teeth taken out (yeah I had two extra wisdoms) I had them taken out november 25th, it is now november 29th and im still feel pain, numbness to my bottom lip and chin with a tingly sensation to both, and im still a little swollen im just wanting to know if any of this is normal or not. I’m really worried I might have permanent nerve damage or something. Thanks.
I had recently got my lower wisdom teeth taken out because they were at risk of hurting a nerve within my jaw line. My cheeks are swollen and my bottom lip is getting number by day 3. What should I do?
Hi,
I got 4 wisdom teeth pulled out on Friday, December 5 and on Tuesday the 9 I noticed these two flaps inside my mouth towards the back. It looks like it formed around my back teeth and I was wondering if it’s normal or if I should go see a dentist?
I just got 4 wisdom teeth removed on friday January 2nd, and I have a little swelling on my right side but not much and i havent really had any pain at all actually its just swollen and i have a basketball game on tuesday and its sunday the 4th today. You think ill be able to play in my game on the 6th???
um.. i got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday (the 8th) but i had extra teeth so in total it was 7. &.. i feel so weird when i look into the mirror cause my cheeks are so puffy xc & i dunno but i have had a small headache & a stuffed up nose since the morning. I haven’t gone to school for 2 days. Do you think the swelling&puffiness would be gone by monday? or hopefully wednesday?
I had all of my wisdom teeth removed on thursday and it is now saturday and i still havent washed my teeth because i cant open my mouth properly, is this normal??
I had my wisdom tooth removed yesterday (9th/01/15) and I don’t know if it’s healing properly, it looks nasty and dark, and my cheek inside next to the tooth seems to have a lump type of thing, that’s all white and stuff… I’m worried about getting an infection, or if it is infected/dry socket. I’m not sure if the dentist cut my gum before removing the tooth, but one part of the gum looks a very dark red, and it looks like a cut, I don’t know though.. I have been able to eat some pasta and stuff on the other side of my mouth today, but sometimes the hole hurts and I’m not sure if it’s air getting to the nerve, but I think a blood clot is there..
Quick update I woke up without pain, but then after trying to fall back to sleep i had alot of pain. I looked at the wound and it looked like the thing on my cheek was pus’ing and attached to the tooth site? I’m not in pain right now, but I don’t know if that’s due to the 3 painkillers I had earlier. Any help would be appreciated since it’s Sunday today, and if it’s bad tomorrow I will call the Dentist. I am eating soft foods, then rinsing right after eating. Mostly drinking water too, I feel like I can feel the tooth shell, if that might be the cause of the pain earlier? But the extraction site looks horrid. But maybe I’m just over thinking. Any help would be appreciated once again, Dean.
Hi I squeeze at the area where I have pain at from removing one wisdom teeth from left side and after time squeeze I feel this weird tasty spit and I take it out. I’m worried what can it be? Pus? I’d that extremely serious or easy to treat. Also wisdom teeth came in horizontally and was told was close to nerve and also when I open my mouth it’s very hard to do it like use to before it hurts too and I see bump feels like bone I don’t know why if it pus or nerve or muscle or what..
Hi, I’m a 16 year old high school student, and I just got two lower wisdom teeth removed about 6 hours ago. When will my cheeks start swelling? Because they haven’t started yet.
I had my wisdom teeth removed yesterday and my right side keeps getting really red and swollen. The upper extraction site hurts more than any of the others. There was no surgury needed since my teeth were already in. Is it possible I have dry socket? Every time I sneeze or eat It makes the pain worse. Also I am not taken anything but ibuprofen. I cannot take most drugs. So this is really my only pain reliever right now. I keep icing that side, but it seems to be making it warmer. I’ve melted two in 30 minutes..
Hi tom! I got my wisdom teeth removed in April of 08′ and occasionally have problems with one of the surgical sites. I had my stitches tar out the day I got them done and had to go to the ER where they re stitched it. Let me tell you that sucked. I have since been to my oral surgeon who said it looks great. However, I have been having problems with that area swelling and feeling like I’m teething. It does it ever so often. It is currently in this swelling mode as I call it, and I’m forming these weird lumps I noticed today. They aren’t painful, but they are new. Should I be concerned or should I try taking some Tylenol and weathering out the storm a couple days. Not sure if it is a residual pain or if the ER might have nicked a nerve re suturing me and it just swells here and there. I’m really just at a loss at this moment. Help!!!
I had my four wisdom teeth pulled out about three weeks ago. I am still a little swollen. Is that normal?
Hi my daughter 14 years old had her bottom 2 wisdom teeth surgically removed on Friday her left side was swollen starting Friday night but we woke up today and the swelling is worse then this afternoon the right side started swelling can someone please tell me why and tell me if I should worry and bug her dentist also my child is a staff carrier so she gets infections easier they have her on clendomyacin for a week before and now she is on it again starting Friday to help prevent infection please help me I’m worried thanks
Hi, am Prabesh. I had extracted my wisdom teeth on 25 Feb and today is 1st March and still there is swelling around my extracted area. I am quite worried about it. But it is not paining at all. Is it normal or what? How can I prevent this swelling? Please give some advices to me.
Hi tom I just got all four of my wisdom teeth removed march 3 and my swelling is bad I feel like a chipmunk with a lot of food in my mouth is the normal. And how long will it take to go down I had 3 kids and I’m a single mother and it is hard for me to take care of my children.
I had a upper left wisdom tooth extraction around the sixth. I have had previous wisdom teeth extracted so know the process. However, this time after I had my week later check up with the dentist, and there were no problems, things began happening.
Later that night, my face swelled on the left, became hot on the left, and very painful and firm.
There was a massive amount of fluid build up causing the skin to puff up so much that the flesh around my eye actually began to touch the eye.
The cheek was firm to touch and very hot and painful.Not a good time cause weekend. The next few days until monday, cheek, skin swelled more. Monday it became less, tuesday better.
However, the skin on the left side still remains warm/hot even though swelling has mostly gone, and there seems to be a big lump under the cheek in the flesh opposite to my gum.
I assume that that is the area where the dentist inserted one of the local injections, and wonder if I have developed a hematoma or so something.
I don’t think it is an infection because I did not develop a fever at any point. Any answers welcome
May be the symptoms for an abscess
My daughter had her wisdom teeth cut out 2 weeks ago. She was doing fine. Swelling went done and everything was good. Now all of a sudden she had a knot come up on the right side and its swollen and pus is coming out. We are afraid it’s infected. If its infected what will happen and what will be done. Please respond asap thanks neinda
Hey Tom. I got all four of my widsom teeth pulled about 4 days ago. The swelling in my cheeks is going down a little bit but now my eye is really swollen. Is there something wrong?
Hi Tom,
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth taken out 4 days ago, I’m still very swollen, including my neck now. I can’t really open my mouth at all. My teeth seem extremely sensitive which I’ve never experienced and I still can’t brush my teeth due to not being able to even open my mouth. Is this normal or should I have improved a lot more by now?
Hey Tom – I had my lower left wisdom tooth taken out (it was slightly impacted) yesterday at 11 am. It took an hour and a half to do. It’s now the next day, 5am. I am in SO much pain, to the point where I can’t sleep, eat, or drink. My throat, face, ears, and head hurt. It feels like I’ve been shot in the face. Is any of this normal without a dry socket or something being present? I’ve been so careful and it’s very early in the healing process. I’m hurting so bad!!!
– Sierra, 18
I got my wisdom teeth extracted about 4 months ago and had had 2 infections while the sites were healing. The holes are now gone but one side of my face is still slightly swollen. Should this be a concern? How long will it be until the swelling subsides permanetly?
Hi I’m Alexus and I’m going to have my five wisdom teeth pulled on Friday the the 8th of May. Yes I said 5 wisdom teeth because I do have 5 wisdom teeth and I’m 14. What I’m most concerned about is that I may get bruses. If I do get bruses what are the causes of them and how can I make them go away if it’s possable. Please respond:)
my 2 left third molars were removed 3 weeks ago, and i was worrying because i still feel the pain. it is slightly painful when i look don’t, there’s a sudden pain in the lower left jaw line as i move…im taking antibiotics, anti- inflammatory and ibuprofen.. i both do cold and warm compress but often warm compress.. what does it mean?
Hi Tom Draper and everyone else,
I had my 3rd tooth from the back, right upper jaw removed on Monday 25/5/15, due to pain, dentist had difficulty taking the tooth out, and she had her assistant holding my head , while she tried to yank it out, anyway tooth broke leaving a root inside so she dug and got the root out, said that it was close to the bone, and I think she said the boe was visibl so she put a gel pack which is still in my mouth and she sad it will come out, I was in so much pain that I saw my GP who gave me amoxille 500 mg and asked to take panadein forte x 2 for 3 days and upto 2 nurofens if needed, My face ois swleen but the ain is a drawing pain, I have been taking the pain killers and it normally subsides even if it doens not last for 4 hour, but I was just woken up around 10:45pm with the drawing pain, took 2 panadein forts and now it is 2:05 am and the pain has not gone away nor subsided I am also getting this funny taste from where the gel pad is since Monday, I just dot know what to do face looks more swollen than what it was, please please help
I am fed up of soup and bread, feel a bit nauseated ad having reflux taking nexium does not help too, yesterday when I blew my nose there was some dried up blood that came out, there has been no bleeding from the nose prior or after oepration, but I know she was putting a lot of pressure trying to get this tooth out, I have had wisodm teeth taken out but never had a pain like this after it was taken, Please any advise, God Bless you all
heather
Hello Tom! Im having a second wisdom teeth stgery because in the first one they left rements of the tooth and on of them is sitting on a nerve to my tongue I believe because half of my tongue is unable to feel anything where the bigger piece is at, ithas already been three months since the surgery and on top of the side with the piece remaning the hole had not been fully closed since food can get stuck there and hurts. My dentist said that they will be able to take out the rest with tweezers but I really dont feel comfortable with hem injecting anesthsia again because if they do hey would have to on the exsposed nerve which one would hurt like crazy when injecting and two I fear would permently take away any chance of my getting sensation of half my tongue back. What could I expect for this “small extraction” this time around and is there any precaution or alternative ways I can have pain killer for during the surgery aside from injection? Please and thank you for your time.
Hi, I had my 2nd tooth from the back, upper left extracted two months ago, my left cheek was very swollen before the extraction as a result of the pain in the tooth, I was given antibiotic to reduce the pain and swollen cheek. It’s two months now and the cheek is swelling again since last week. What could be the cause?
I had an impacted wisdom tooth removed 2 weeks ago. I’m 43. It seemed to be getting better now my cheek is swollen again just like after surgery. Is this normal? What could be causing this? It’s very sore to the touch and I cannot open my mouth all the way. Thanks!
Hi i got 3 of my wisdom teeth taken out on Jun 20 on a saturday and so on june 21 it wasnt swelling not at all until i was watching really funny videos on youtube and i was laughing really hard, you know to try to cheer myself up and right after i was laughing thats when my mouth started to swell like a chimpmunk and till now its swollen, so do you think i might have moved or opened a stitch and i get how when u laugh your mouth stretches but do you think i opened the would up): its been three days and i thoughtthe swelling would go away within 3 days, but mine started on the third day. Im scared that i might have stretched the wound and caused an infection
*Opened the wound* not would, sorry It got autocorrect
Read quite a few comments & your responses re swollen cheeks after removal of wisdom teeth. In my case, I had got the two upper ones extracted almost 10 days ago. The first few days went well but I started getting swelling on both inside cheek walls after 4/5 days.. Have been quite thorough in rinsing either with Luke warm salty water or diluted hyrogen peroxide. Have also taken 5 days of antibiotics but the inflammation seems
worse .. Any other suggestion for a home remedy..specific rinse or med ??
Quite uncomfortable.
Will appreciate your comments asap.
Hey tom,
I’m not sure if you are still answering these posts or not but I have been having a few problems with my wisdom teeth operation. One of the issues is, I have a really bad sore throat. I’m on penicillin so shouldn’t that go away? And the second one is, on the right side of my mouth I can’t close my mouth fully without biting on the inside of my cheek. Is this normal? I got all 4 wisdom teeth out. Your reply would really help me.
Thanks,
Justin
Hello, I got my wisdom teeth removed 19 days ago. The swelling went down, and has now returned in my right cheek. It’s not massive but it is noticeable. I haven’t notice pus or a fever to indicate an infection, but I’m not sure if these symptoms are required. My surgeon gave me a Perichlor mouth rinse which says it reduces redness and swelling, classically for gingivitis although I guess it applies here as well. I started rinsing again and am taking the few anti-inflammatory pills I have left. Was this the right thing to do? Is it normal for swelling to come again? I am just about to call the surgeon’s office and ask their opinion, but I thought it might be useful for other people to see this if they have a similar situation.
Thanks for the help,
Thomas.
I have a swollen gum where my wisdom tooth was removed in 1989….how is that and should I go see a dentist? I jus had a sinus infection but didn’t finish my meds…should I start taking the antibiotics?
I had my wisdom teeth removed on 9/3. The swelling looked at though it peaked on day 2-3 but while one side I has gone down, the right side is swollen and it feels like a hard knot. Is this normal or possible signs of infection? Please note: No puss or excessive bleeding. Taking antibiotics prescribed, 3 x salt water rinse along with prescribed mouth rinse. Applying hot pack to face in 20 minute increments.
Dear Doctor,
I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed 2 months ago under GA & i was fine after the surgery the swelling too gradually improved and got back to my normal self. However I started noticing a small stiffened area slowly growing but the doc said not to worry. After about two months it grew into a small lump of the size of 12mm-7mm according to an ultra sound scan. By this time I went to a second opinion as I was already worried & the second doc said it looks like a heamatoma & advised to remove it & sounded so simple and just a matter of removing it under GA. However since just after the second surgery I have a very hardened lump ( lot bigger than the lump i had removed ) & it does not seem to go down. Been taking opinions from different doctors all what they say is just not to worry since the biopsy report is nonalignment. For today it is been 23 days post surgery and my swollen lump still looks the same with a look of an abscess in the area where the stitches are & the color too has slightly changed to red. Please I would really like to know it this normal ? Will i have to cut the same area for the third time ? I can barely open my mouth for food. Please let me know what you think of this complication .
I got my teeth pulled on a Monday all 4 at once an now my face looks horrible an I’ve got bruises on both sides of my checks I don’t believe I have an infection I’ve taken my anti biotics since the surgery. I don’t wat I can do from Monday to Thursday my face looks like I’m storing food for the winter ???
Hi
I had the surgery 2 months ago and still I have this swelling om my right cheek, I had it done with the same doctor but the left cheek went well after few days, my right cheek is bruised with some redness, I visit the doctor he did some x-ray that shows that the swelling is coming from the cheek and not from the extracted part, he gave me another set of augmentin for a week. why is it taking this long to completely heal while the other side of my mouth was done a week prior this only take 2 days to heal?
I got my wisdom teeth pulled on the 19th my swelling is still there it hurts it feels like they just cut the inside of my right cheek up my top gums keep swelling and I only had the bottom wisdom teeth removed and it just hurts very bad help please
I got 3 of my wisdom teeth pulled and 2 normal teeth pulled on Nov 12 and it’s the 16th today feels like forever and my cheeks are still super swollen ! When will they go down I also heard my meds vicodion the side effects are swelling.. I just hope it heals quick.
I had all my wisdom teeth removed on Nov. 23 at around 1:30 PM EST. The swelling felt gone by 9 PM EST the same day. I did have an ice pack on each side of the face every 30 minutes. Could that cause the swelling to go down fast or is it also because I had my teeth removed within 15 minutes with not needing shots to numb my cheeks?
I had my right side wisdom teeth extracted on November 16, and suddenly today December 1st my cheek began to swell unexpectedly. Is this a sign of infection?
I had my wisdom teeth out exactly 19 days ago. Yesterday my jaw starting hurting, like it was sore. And it gradually got worse throughout the day. That night it was swollen a bit. I woke up this morning and my cheek was swollen really bad. Just as bad as when I got them out. What’s wrong with me?
Hello,
I got my lower right wisdom tooth removed, 1week ago.
I still have some swelling in my cheek. Swelling is around my premolars teeth.
Will this be permanent?
What can I do get back to normal?
Hi,
It’s been almost a month since I’ve had all four wisdom teeth extracted yet the left side of my jaw it still swollen compared to the right. I had gauze stuck to the bottom left side. The lady who put it in really stuffed it and I was unable to pull it out myself until I visited my dentist a couple days later. It caused the bone to become exposed and took longer to heal. I was wondering if the swell will go away or will it always be there?
Why did the swelling in my right cheek disappear and not from my left cheek
Hello,
I had my wisdom teeth removed on New Years Eve 2016 and the pain and swelling decreased on my right side but on the left it hurts badly. I have a weird foul smell and taste ever since I had my wisdom teeth out and I can’t get rid of the smell is there any way to get rid of the smell and taste? It is only my bottom left side that still hurts and the inside of my cheek is swelled I am not sure what could be causing this problem. I brush my teeth 3-4 times a day but I can still taste and smell this foulness. I got pain meds from my surgeon and all but the meds make me very itchy. So I take Tylenol because it helps that best. I just can’t seen what to do about the foulness.
Hi there I had my right two wisdom teeth removed 2 days ago, the bottom one was slightly impacted into the tooth next door. On my way home I was vomiting and couldn’t keep the gorse in, now my lower jaw is hot, very little pain, except on jaw. Is that normal or should I be worried about something not right.
I have a few questions I have contacted my denist .. multiply time about my wisdom tooth extraction. .. I am still swollen it’s been 8 days. The swelling was nearly gone the 5th day and I bit into my jaw ripping the healing area back up and it swelled up. I called denist immedtly to see what I should do he replied with start cleaning with the syringe they gave me to ease the pain because it would help and use salt water I have done this but the pain hasn’t stopped I called him today and told him that and told him about the pain in my ear and a foul taste in my mouth they told me yet again that food is probably inside the socket area and to rinse . Which it didn’t hurt today until tonight when I rinsed. My inside cheek is raw like I have sucked on hard candy. Is it possible that I’m suckling with my mouth in my sleep . And also the tooth beside my lower right socket is very tender to the touch but the denist doesn’t believe I have a dry socket because I am able to talk and says that it’s been 8 days so it to late for a dry socket. Anyone have any idea or experienced any of this? On top of it all I have gingivitis and I have been trying to clear it up prior to this surgery. Could that case me to heal slower? Cause I still have gapping holes in the bottom . Qnd lastly they told my husband they had to drill my teeth in piece tp remove because my bottoms we impacted and litany under my 2nd molers. Also horizantly instead vertical could this also play a factor in pain. It’s not unbearable pain just irrating.
I had #16 extracted 6 days ago due to a cavity. I have Primary Sjogren’s and have a slight fever, severe swelling behind and below my ear, all the way under my jaw and down my neck. My eye feels like it will expload, head and ear pain. Extraction area seems fine. I was not given antibiotics either. I was very hesitant about the extraction due to the Sjogren’s and swelling, is this normal?
Hi! okay so I got my 4 wisdom teeth taken out & the healing process went just fine but now that the holes are completely closed the swelling is back & they hurt just like they did when I got them removed…is this normal??
4 wisdoms, all were still under gum with 2 way far and still small) removed 2 weeks ago with 2 impacted. Bled until the 3rd morning. Pain even at 2 weeks. A blood clot had developed outside the suctures a few days ago. It was big, black, wider than a molar and about the same height.
Does it mean that I had never stopped bleeding for these 2 weeks for the clot to grow to that size ?
During teeth brushing there is always some blood from it. Dr said it’s just a blood clot so it was removed and resutured but it still bloodied the gauze. I don’t want this to form a clot again.
Is it necessary to remove wisdom teeth wen its recommended???
I had my wisdom tooth also removed,
I’m from the Netherlands and went to a dentist in Amsterdam.
It wasn’t that bad for me, i remember when one of my friends removed his teeth his whole cheek was yellow and swollen.
Hi, I had my wisdom teeth taken out 2 months ago and there is still swelling that isn’t going down.
Treatment has done in India. Now I am in US. can you please give suggestion
Hi i had all 4 wisdome teeth pulled out 2 days ago and the swelling cheecks didint start till sunday and today is monday and it’s gotten worse more swelled up and more pain do you think it might be an infeccion???
I just got my wisdom teeth out today and put heat on it not knowing how long to wait until I can put heat on it what is going to happen to me ?
I had all four impacted wisdoms removed om friday morning so today the swelling seems to be the worst from what I’ve read is normal. Is heat sensitivity normal only 3 days folowing surgery? As well as having pain in the other teeth? I’m not able to brush my teeth yet but will when I can open my mouth better
Hi, I got my 3 wisdom teeth out Wednesday July 13th. Everything was well and fine a little swelling but not enough to have ice.
My parents did make me ice the left side here and their. Today when I woke up I noticed my face was very swollen and sore. Today is July 19th. A few days after. Im worried I’ve done something wrong to infect or upset my cheek.
I acidently used a straw yesterday when a friend got me a shake when we went to the mall. It didn’t hurt very much but I noticed enough to stop using the straw.
Last night I was pet sitting for a friend of mine and her puppy bopped me in the same cheek. Not enough to hurt though. Then, later that night they went for a walk in the back yard. One of the little guys pulled so hard I rolled over. Into a bush, I landed on my hand so my face didn’t get hurt in the process but I was thinking whiplash or something could have upset It .
I also sleep on my left side, I try to sleep on my back or right side but I end up waking up on the left side last night was ruff sleeping because of the pet sitting. The dogs a 2 little cockerspanyals. So they aren’t that big. Just jumpy.
Today I got home iced my face had avdil, and took a nap. The swelling went down a little but is still notice ably there.
My daughter had two wisdom teeth out two weeks ago. She had the normal swelling that did go down after a few days. However, my daughter is a gymnast and fell a couple of times while training on the bars yesterday. Now the same area around her wisdom teeth is swollen again. She had a little bit of paid, but iced and now the pain is gone. The swelling however is still there. I spoke to the dentist’s office and they told me not to worry unless there is pain associated with the swelling. At what point would following up with the dentist or doctor be necessary?
Got all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed Friday now I have dry socket and a piece of my cheek is under where my wisdom tooth once was and I keep biting down on it as I talk ect.. What should I do? If I get it cut off would I be OK by the 7th (my birthday) HELP PLEASE
Hi, I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled on the 3rd and I still have bruising and swelling. But the swelling hasn’t yet went down much, and the bruise is still on my cheek. How long does this usually last?
Hi. I had my bottom wisdom teeth taken out 8 days ago the swelling went down a lot but my cheeks are still a tiny bit swollen. Is it possible for your cheeks to stay swollen forever? Also, I can’t open my mouth fully and I can’t eat hard food. I know it’s normal but I was wondering when I can get my normal mouth back?
Hello, I’m Bridget, 19 years old. i just got all 4 wisdom teeth removed and a 3rd molar removed almost 2 days ago. I’ve been taking my antibiotics like I’m supposed to and the right side of my cheek (the side i had 3 teeth removed) is more swollen than the left side. The upper part on the right side where two teeth were removed bleeds here and there but not all the time. I can barely close my mouth all the way because my cheek is so swollen. I don’t have any signs of a dry socket but i was just wondering if all of this is normal? and when my cheek should stop being so swollen. It would mean a lot, thank you!
Hello, I’m Paola, 18 years old. I just got 3 of my wisdom teeth removed, but my dentist couldn’t remove the 4th one. This tooth is an impacted tooth and he cut the gum open and even saw through it, and I didn’t feel anything until it came to the part where he would extract. He had already given me several shots, he decided to stitch it up, and write a referral to an oral surgeon. I won’t see the oral surgeon until 4 days from now, and the side of my mouth where it is located is super swollen and hurts. Is this normal ? Do I wait to see my oral surgeon ? or do I go to emergency to have removed?
hello, its been more than 2 months now i had remove my left top wisdom teeth.
i have swollen left side face.
what can i do now? is it something serious?
This site give more information about oral science.Teeth health has a great role in everyday life,it will affect all spheres of life.If your teeth is not good,you cannot eat properly.After the teeth is removed our face get swollen.Oral study is related with neurology.Dentist are doing study in this field.
Hi Tom this is Tina my daughter she just head done here wisdom teeth she puled them 4 on Dec. 23 now she was swollen this morning kind okay but after she took nap here cheeks where more swollen but more right side is that normal she could open yesterday more mouth but today is Dec 24/2016 she berry can open here mouth. Is that normal.
Hi Tom, I got my wisdom teeth on the left side removed and almost NO swelling occurred, after two weeks I got the right side wisdom teeth out and it’s swollen with a big bruise, it has been 2 days since the surgery and I also have a small bruise under my right EYE , also my gum and inner lip is blue, should I start worrying? I mean when I got the left side out the swelling was barely noticeable!
Thank you in advance!
I had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out over two weeks ago. A few days after the procedure the swelling expanded so much that it majorly bruised my jaw line and cheeks. I ended up going to the hospital because of it swelling more and the pain. Now sitting here almost three weeks in, and there is still swelling. What should I do? Is there anything I can do to help it go down?
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Hi, I got my wisdom teeth removed about 10 days ago, the swelling had gone down gradually but on the 9th day it seemed as though where my bottom left wisdom tooth was has started to swell up again after it the swelling has gone down. I checked and there was no other signs of infection such as puss, and the area feels bruised. I don’t know what’s going on, maybe it was just the saltine cracker that I accidentally chewed on with that same area of my mouth on the 8th day. Thank you.
Hi I have braces bad I got my wisdom teeth remove so 2 days ago. I also have an oral expander in where you need a key to tighten it. I was wondering when it would be a good time to start doing this again? My jaw is extremely sore so I was wondering approximately when the soreness in my jaw while stop so I can adjust my braces?
Hi, I just got my bottom 2 wisdom teeth taken out on Saturday March 21, 2017. It is now going to be Wednesday, March 22, 2017 and I feel a hard ball on my lower right jaw. Is this normal? I also have been experiencing bad breath. I don’t know if this is due to an infection or what is the cause of it? I rinse 3-4 times a day.
I really hope you can answer this one cause I really need to know what to do. I had my wisdom teeth removed, all 4 of them, on March of 2009 it is now May of 2017 and the sweali g has not gone away at all!!! I thought it was from being overweight (6’3 275) but I just lost 60 lbs and gained 10 in muscle (6’3 216) but my cheeks are still swollen. I was heavy one time before the wisdom teeth got removed (6’3 305) and lost the weight (6’3 217) and my face got really slim but it’s not happening anymore at all what should I do
I need advice PLEASE.WENT TO ER on the 14th for abcessed teeth put on antibiotics had four teeh extaced on 16th its 24th and have swelling up side of cheeck ny nose..in pain..no pain meds..still on antibiotics..what should i do…ty
Hi there. I hope someone can help. My husband got four of his wisdom teeth removed about 1.5 months ago a week or 2 after that he got a crown put in. Everything seemed to get better for a few days, then he started to have more pain and his cheeks became more swollen. He went to the dentist because the pain from his jaw was still intense. They adjusted his bite and cleaned up around the crown area but ever since then his pain has gotten worse.
He says it feels like there’s more tooth trying to come out, but his cheeks are swollen still and he’s having trouble sleeping due to the intense pain. He is taking ibuprofen religiously to manage the pain. What could be causing this? Its almost 2 months after the wisdom tooth removal. I’m pretty concerned as is he. Can anyone help please?
Hi ,i had my upper right side wisdom tooth pull last Wednesday with 2 upper right side teeth next to it the same day, went back this Wednesday because i had a root canal done, why am i still in pain so bad i can’t talk and eat, it’s going on two weeks since i have eating because of the pain, i try painkillers putting a ice pack on my cheek nothing helping what can i do I’m so tired of the pain, i finished my antibiotics
Hi. I had my bottom right wisdom tooth extracted two days ago. The cheek is still swelling and I’m in so much pain that it’s hard to sleep. Can someone please help me.