How much swelling is too much?

[username]

Sorry to bother you all here but I'm starting to get a bit worried and my dentist's help-line isn't getting back to me. I'm basically trying to decide if I should be worried about my excessive post-surgery swelling.
Tuesday I had three wisdom teeth removed. One impacted, one unbreached, and one breached. The surgery seemed to go fine and I didn't have any terrible side effects. Even the swelling was fine until the next day. My face eventually swelled to the point where I had a good extra inch on one side and a couple inches on the other, I no longer have a chin, my lymph nodes are exceptionally swollen and tender. None of this really worried me until I got a fever and then realized that my whole neck down to and including my throat and collar bones was swollen. Even my chest is extra tender. I expected a swollen jaw and some swelling in the neck but to have this extend down to my collar bones and affect my chest is very unnerving.
Is this normal? Is it something I should worry about? I'm not really sure what I could do about it either way but worrying and waiting to hear back from this help-line is really messing me up. Any insight or suggestions would be immensely appreciated.

 

[Busybee]

Did they give you any medication to take at home?

 

[username]

Just pain killers. The doctor finally got back to me and said this sort of swelling usually occurs in older patients but does happen. I still feel that it's excessive but the surgeon doesn't seem worried so I guess I'll wait it out.

 

[Busybee]

If you have a fever then you should see a doctor just in case.

 

[MattKW]

Just pain killers. The doctor finally got back to me and said this sort of swelling usually occurs in older patients but does happen. I still feel that it's excessive but the surgeon doesn't seem worried so I guess I'll wait it out.

Chest swelling often indicates spreading infection and should be examined immediately. I would go to a hospital emergency department based on what you say.