When you have a swelling in the jaw, your jaw looks fuller than it actually is. Usually presence of a lump or swelling brings the condition of swollen jaw. Based on the exact condition you have developed, the jaw could be stiff and there could also be pain and tenderness affecting not only the jaw but also the neck and the face. There can be various reasons behind swelling in the jaw, like –
- Common cold
- Swollen glands in the neck or the jaw because of a viral infection
- Mumps is a more serious condition compared to the causes above
- Even cancer can make the jaw swollen although such cases are pretty rare
- Swelling may also result from a severe allergic reaction like anaphylaxis (In any case this condition requires urgent medical care and intervention of a qualified doctor)
Medical emergency
If anyone suddenly experiences swelling in the face, mouth or the tongue or there is an outbreak of rash and difficulties in breathing, it is crucial to place a call at 111 or your local emergency services. The symptoms mentioned above indicate medical emergency. A dentist with years of experience in handling cases of swollen jaw on one side suggests alternatively one may also walk into the A&E room of the nearest hospital without making any unnecessary delay.
Possible causes behind jaw swelling
Possible causes of swelling in the jaw are many and include the following –
Swollen glands
In response to an illness or infection it is likely for the glands or lymph nodes to swell. Now if one watches closely one will find the swollen nodes are actually those that are located closer to the site of the infection. When there is an attack of normal cold, glands in the neck swell up in most cases. However swelling may also result from various bacterial infections and in those cases one has to take antibiotic medications to get cure. When an infection is the cause of swollen glands, then the area is likely to be tender when touched. The skin is also likely to appear reddish. As the infection clears away all these symptoms unwind and the area returns to normal.
Cancer may also cause your glands to swell up. An example in this context is non Hodgkin lymphoma, explain dentists with extensive experience in handling cases of jaw pain and swelling on one side in London. It makes the nodes hard and fixed which require over four weeks to return to normal.
Injury or trauma
A blow received on the face or an accidental fall may also result in a swollen jaw. These cases are often accompanied with other symptoms like pain and bruising in and around the jaw area. A fractured, broken or dislocated jaw requires immediate care and intervention of a dentist. In this condition opening or closing the mouth can be difficult for a patient.
Viral infections
The lymph nodes in the neck can swell in viral infections, like a normal cold and mononucleosis, etc. Typical symptoms that accompany these cases include – fatigue, soreness in the throat, a nasty headache and fever.
Infections caused by bacteria
Certain bacterial infections also result in swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck. Examples include bacteria tonsillitis and strep throat, etc. Other symptoms that are found in these patients include soreness in the throat, enlargement of the tonsil glands, toothache, blisters or lumps on the gum, reddish or whitish patches in the throat, fever and others.
Dental abscess
Harmful bacteria in your mouth make their way into the pulp of your tooth to make you suffer from a tooth or dental abscess, explain dentists with years of experience in treating patients suffering from sudden swollen jaw one side. The condition leads to formation of a pocket of pus in and around the affected tooth. A dental abscess is a serious condition and needs immediate treatment and intervention of a dentist.
If the condition is left untreated the infection easily affects the underling bone structures in the jaw, the neighbouring teeth and several other tissues. Typical symptoms of this dental condition include swelling on one side of the jaw or the face, severe and throbbing pain in the tooth and the pain even spreads to the neighbouring jaw, neck and the ear, swelling and reddishness in the gum, fever and others.
Tooth extraction
Tooth or teeth extraction is a common phenomenon in dentistry and it is performed to counter various issues like teeth crowding, gum disease or excessive decay. After a tooth is extracted you are likely to experience pain and swelling the first few days. There will also be little bruising as well. Recovering from these post procedural symptoms becomes easier with repeated application of a cold compress at the extraction site from outside the face and taking standard pain medications that are available over the counter, explain dentists treating patients suffering from swollen jaw pain in London over the years.
Tonsillitis
The lymph nodes that are located on each side of the back of the throat are called tonsils. The condition of tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsil glands. Usually the infection is caused by either viruses or bacteria.
Typical symptom of the condition is acute soreness in the throat with swelling in the lymph glands. Dentists working in the renowned Emergency Dental Clinic Chelsea explain there can be other symptoms to this condition too like swelling and reddishness in and around the tonsil area, fever, pain in the ear, swallowing could be painful, hoarseness in the voice and others.
