Swelling And Painful Bruise Appeared On Face After Inserting The Anesthetic Needle In Gum. Worried

Posted on Tue, 2 Oct 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 2 Oct 2012 Answered on

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : Hello, I went to the dentist last friday for a filling. The dentist inserted the anesthetic needle too far in and hit the muscle. He told me that the swelling would go down within 2-3 days. My face is still swollen, bruised and painful. It feels like theres a solid lump in my cheek.

Thank you in advance.

Answered by Dr. Sudhir Kumar (9 minutes later)

Hi,
Thank you for contacting Healthcare magic.
There is an injury to the muscle and adjacent soft tissue, resulting in swelling and pain. Since this area has XXXXXXX blood supply, the redness and swelling are often more as compared to other body parts.
This improves, but may take upto a week to 10 days.
For faster resolution of swelling and pain, you could take anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or diclofenac or naproxen for 3-5 days.
I hope it helps. Please get back for any follow up queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar