Why is my cheek swollen, what should I do if my tooth hurts? Of course, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. But what if this trouble happened in the middle of the night or it takes time to go to the doctor, but help is needed immediately? In this case, try to determine the cause and relieve acute pain with available means.

What to do if the cheek is swollen and the tooth hurts: first aid at home

What to do if the tooth is swollen: looking for the cause

Concern can be caused by an apparently healthy or recently treated tooth. An inflammatory process begins to develop in the gum. At first, the swelling is almost imperceptible, then it gradually increases, pain appears. Sometimes there is swelling of the gums.


The causes of inflammation may be the following:

  • The tooth is swollen after visiting the doctor. If he has not previously given you recommendations on what to do in this case, you will have to look for a way out yourself. Perhaps it was the intervention of the doctor that provoked the development of the disease.
  • As a result of tooth extraction, the gums could be damaged, which caused swelling.
  • Not only babies teething is painful. When a wisdom tooth grows, it can cause the gums to swell.

But most often, swelling of the gums causes infection as a result of caries, when eating rough food or when brushing your teeth inaccurately.

What to do if the tooth hurts and the cheek is swollen?

There are proven means that allow, if not to remove, then at least to weaken the severity of the problem. There are many options for what to do at home if the tooth is swollen:

  • Inflammation relieves rinsing with soda-salt solution (0.5 tsp of each substance per glass of water).
  • It works well as an antiseptic and soda solution (2 tablespoons in a glass of water).
  • Swollen gums can be rinsed with an aqueous solution of propolis.
  • From a teaspoon of herbs (chamomile, sage, oak bark, oregano, sage), poured with a glass of boiling water, a tincture is prepared that soothes and relieves swelling.
  • If the gum around the tooth is swollen, you need to massage it with your fingers, wipe it with an alcohol solution of propolis or apply ice to the diseased tooth.
  • Rinsing with vodka, which produces a slight anesthetic effect, helps a little.
  • If the inflammation is caused by caries, a compress is made on the sore spot from a mixture of equal parts of chopped garlic and onions.
It is forbidden to warm the inflamed area, as heat will accelerate the formation of pus and increase pain.

If you do not know what to do when a tooth is swollen, use folk remedies. They will slightly alleviate the condition and reduce acute pain. But the cause is not eliminated. When the gums swell, it is usually necessary to open the abscess and eliminate the infection with medications. And only a specialist should do this.