I've never imagined that I will be in that situation. It was scary. It was painful. And it was really really stressful!!!

Friday night last last week when I woke up, I suddenly felt that my cheek swelled a little (not yet visible) but I don't feel any pain that time. I thought it was just bitten by cockroach or whatsoever insect while I was asleep. When I went home from work, this is the time that the swelling is getting larger and visible. But whenever they ask me what happened to my face, I always told them that It was just an insect bite. (because that's what I've thought). And on the following day, it got worse. My face was swollen and my tooth ache but the pain was tolerable.

I've sent a picture of me to my sister @mariayves0912 and she told me that it was because of my tooth. At first, I did not believe that the swelling was all about my tooth. She told me to see a dentist immediately. From there, I learned that my face got swollen because of the so called "ABSCESS", a Tooth Abscess .

It was my first time to have this and I don't know what is it all about. My sister explained it to me and I also google it. So below is the background of Tooth Abscess:

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that's caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can occur at different regions of the tooth for different reasons. A periapical abscess occurs at the tip of the root, whereas a periodontal abscess occurs in the gums next to a tooth root.

disclaimer:photo from mayoclinic.org

These are some signs I have encountered:

- Swelling from cheek to face REAL QUICK.

(on the first day it started from my cheek and got my face swollen overnight)

- Mild to Moderate to Severe Toothache.

(at first, I did not felt any pain. But as the swelling rapidly growing, the pain is increasing)

-Difficulty Eating

(on the second day of swelling I cannot eat well. I find it so hard to open my mouth.)

-Jaw Pain

(whenever I try to open my mouth i feel moderate to intense pain in my jaw.)

How I deal with my Abscess:

-HOT-COLD-HOT-COLD (Repeat) Compress

(hot and cold compress were my best friend during this time. I'm glad it helps me so much reduce the pain.)

-WARM WATER WITH SALT

(Gargling with warm salt water was advised by my sister. She told me to do this at least 10 times a day. It really helps a lot not only to ease the toothache but it also soothes my sore throat.)

-TAKE MEDICINE

(Another thing I hate is taking medicine but what else can I do? I take antibiotic prescribed by my doctor for 7 days.)

I know it was my negligence for not taking good care of my teeth. Because I am afraid of tooth extraction so I just endure the pain. I didn't pay attention to my teeth and I've learned a lesson. (Learned it the hard way)

Right now I am still taking antibiotic and have my tooth extracted schedule this week. But my face turns back to normal now. I can smile again but still feeling a little pain from time to time. Thank you to my dearest sister @mariayves0912 for your advises on how to lessen the pain I felt that time. For the home remedies you've shared :) If it wasn't for you I wouldn't know that it was a serious matter.

Tooth Abscess: A NIGHTMARE!!!!