Thursday, March 12, 2020

Lip Swelling following Extractions


Tooth extractions are a routine procedure at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania. We’ll make treatment as minimally invasive as possible, allowing you to recover quickly and comfortably. However, to avoid swelling, we will need our patients to try to avoid biting their lips after they’ve been numbed.


During extractions, we often numb the inferior alveolar nerve. This nerve carries sensations from the teeth of the lower jaw, and numbing it also numbs the lower lip and chin. Children are especially likely to experimentally bite down on their numbed lips, although some people suffer biting injuries in their sleep. A bite will likely cause a large amount of swelling as well as an ulcer and white lesion. A red lesion, especially if accompanied by fever, could indicate infection.


Usually, swelling is not dangerous. A patient may be advised to take an over-the-counter painkiller, but draining and antibiotics will probably not be recommended unless there is reason to suspect infection. Complete healing may take a few weeks, but is unlikely to have other complications. When patients are released immediately after an extraction, they are advised to use cold packs for the first 24 hours to restrict swelling, and then switch to hot packs to make the swelling go down faster. Remembering to do this may also make a patient less inclined to bite their lip, or limit the damage if they do.


  Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA.




 

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