Abscess or facial swelling
A swollen jaw with tooth pain is not something to wait out.
If you've got a puffy cheek, a fever, a bad taste in your mouth, or a little bump on the gum that looks like a pimple, you may be dealing with a dental abscess. That's a pocket of infection, and it's one of the few dental problems that can genuinely become dangerous. Mouth infections don't stay put — they can spread to the jaw, the sinuses, and beyond, which is why "I'll see if it gets better" is the wrong move here.
Rinsing with warm salt water and a cold compress can ease the pressure for a little while, but they won't clear the infection. An abscess needs to be properly drained and treated, and often the source tooth needs care too. We keep same-day emergency appointments open at our Aventura office for exactly this. We'll take a free X-ray to see how far it's spread, get the infection under control, and stop it before it turns into something far more serious. If your face is swelling, don't wait for tomorrow.
