Will my slightly droopy eye lid go away after swelling from dental surgery?

Question

1 1/2 weeks ago I had dental surgery to remove the remainder of a tooth which had already had a root canal and crown. I received anesthesia. There was some swelling to the right eye area (surgery was on the left side upper) & gum & I did as instructed, ice 2 days and then some heat. No pain. My right eyelid is slightly drooped lower than the left now and that has not gone away. The Dentist/Oral surgeon said at the one week check up that I probably slept on it. I did but it has not yet gone away. ??????

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Swelling that is bad enough can cause persisted ptosis in an affected upper eyelid.  I would advise patience here.  This really could take many weeks and, in rare cases, more time to fully resolve.  While it is unlikely to cause permanent upper eyelid ptosis, this is a remote possibility.  Normally I recommend being assessed by an oculoplastic surgery if the swelling has not resolved in 6 months.  However, I recommend that you go get assessed now given that the side that is droop was not the side where surgery was performed.

Will my slightly droopy eye lid go away after swelling from dental surgery?

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