Warm salt water
Rinse gently with warm salt water a few times a day to keep the area clean.
Emergency care · Swollen gum
A swollen gum needs a look
Swelling near a tooth is often a sign of infection, and infections do not clear up on their own. Here is what helps, what is urgent, and how to be seen.
Emergency visit $95 flat, or $0 with an active PPO plan · no emergency upcharge
Until you can be seen
What helps in the meantime
These steps ease discomfort. They do not treat an infection, so book an exam even if the swelling goes down. General first aid, not a diagnosis.
Cold on the outside
A cold compress on the cheek, a few minutes at a time. Never use heat on a swollen face.
Over-the-counter relief
An over-the-counter pain reliever, taken exactly as the label directs, can help. Never hold a tablet against the gum.
Leave it alone
Do not squeeze or pop a bump on the gum. It will not drain the infection and can spread it.
When it's urgent
Signs not to wait on
Go to an emergency room or call 911 straight away for swelling that is spreading across the face or neck, swelling reaching the eye or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, or a high fever with facial swelling. Those can be signs of a spreading infection.
A bump near the tooth
A pimple-like bump on the gum, sometimes with a bad taste, often points to an abscess that needs treatment soon.
Throbbing pain
Swelling with a deep, throbbing ache, or pain when biting, usually means the tooth itself is involved.
Around a wisdom tooth
Swollen, sore gum over a back tooth that is coming through can become infected and should be checked.
A toothache as well
Pain that keeps you up at night is its own warning sign.
Toothache help Being seen at In Line
An answer today, a price in writing
Call or text and describe what happened. The team holds time in the schedule for emergencies and will book the first available slot. Dr. Chon treats patients on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for a genuine emergency he comes in on his off days.
Emergency visit
$95
flat · or $0 with an active PPO plan
The same first visit, no emergency upcharge. Exam and X-rays show what happened and what it will take to fix it.
Emergency careIf it's the nerve
Dr. Chon evaluates the tooth here, gets you out of pain, and treats it here when it suits the tooth or refers you to an endodontist.
Root canalsIf it's the gums
A deep cleaning or gum treatment may be what the tooth needs. Priced in writing at the exam.
General dentistry Common questions
Questions, answered
What causes a swollen gum around one tooth?
The common causes are an infection at the root of the tooth (an abscess), an infection in the gum itself, food trapped below the gum line, or a wisdom tooth coming through. An exam and X-ray show which one it is.
When is a swollen face an emergency?
Go to an emergency room or call 911 straight away for swelling spreading across the face or neck, swelling near the eye or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, or a high fever with facial swelling. Swelling in the gum alone should be seen by a dentist as soon as possible.
Will a swollen gum go away on its own?
The swelling can come and go, but an infection underneath usually does not clear up by itself. It can keep damaging the bone around the tooth, which is why an exam matters even when the swelling eases.
How is the cause of a swollen gum treated?
It depends on what the exam finds. A gum infection may need a deep cleaning; an infected nerve may need a root canal — done here when the tooth suits it, otherwise by an endodontist Dr. Chon refers you to after the visit; a wisdom tooth may need to come out. Each is priced in writing first, after the same $95 flat visit, or $0 out of pocket with an active PPO plan.
Swelling right now?
Call, and we'll triage you
Book an emergency visit — the same $95 flat visit, or $0 out of pocket with an active PPO plan — or call and tell us what is happening.