Hi Doctor, I went to the dentist to remove my 5th wisdom tooth (in the upper right jaw). The local anesthesia which was given pre-removal caused major swelling of my cheek. I was told by the dentist that the injection hit the blood vessel . Immediately after swelling I applied ice pack for about an hour with an interval of 1 min. I took antibiotics for 4-5 days and the swelling is reduced a bit but not completely. I have terrible pain when i touch my cheek on the injection spot. Its been 6 days now. Could you please tell me what needs to be done now? Right now I am in another city and could not go to the same dentist... Please advise what can be done. Thanks,,
Hi, Thanks for asking the query, The swelling which appeared is known as Hematoma, it is painless distended swelling . It occurs due to effusion of blood into the extravascular spaces during the injection of the local anesthetic solution. Immediate management of hematoma is application of external pressure over the affected area. It can be relieved by application of ice packs on the affected area. Take complete course of antibiotic and analgesic. Usually it takes 7-14 days to resolve. Hope this helps out . Regards...