Tell me if I’m overreacting to a snapping sound during local anesthesia

TL;DR: if there is a chance I have a broken needle in my jaw, should I go back immediately for an X-Ray or am I being paranoid?

Buckle up, I’m sorry this is long.

I had a filling yesterday afternoon on a wisdom tooth and the doctor decided to do local anesthetic. I’ve had a filling on a different molar done years ago with a different dentist who got the nerve the first time (ouch but quick and then painless) and didn’t need to do multiple injections.

Now, this other dentist went in and did several movements of the needle for the first injection(s?) and then immediately went in for grinding. I was still feeling some sensitivity, so he went back in with several more movements and injections. Immediately back to grinding, and I was still sensitive, so he went in a third time and moved the needle around a bunch as he did the injection. None of this hurt. I could feel the pressure of the needle but no pain.

At least once or twice he scraped the needle against my tooth, which made a sound you’d expect. But at another point I heard what sounded like the needle snapping. At no point was I moving or swallowing during this process. The injections didn’t hurt but I immediately felt swelling. He went to grab another instrument and I touched my jaw and felt a large lump. He assured me it’s not a lump, it just feels that way because it’s numb. Meanwhile I’m touching both sides of my face and definitely feeling a difference but I let him continue because what do I know. I do also feel like I had some anesthetic liquid in my mouth at some point and I’m not sure if that’s normal either.

He does the tooth and sends me on my way. Later that afternoon my spouse comes home and sees me and immediately says my face is swollen on the side I had anesthesia. I was numb for the rest of the night, which I expected because of my previous experience, and because of that I didn’t eat anything.

Now this morning the numbness is gone but that initial swelling spot is still swollen and slightly painful. Feels like I’ve been punched in the jaw. I’ve had breakfast but I can still taste the medical equipment. The tooth itself feels fine, my gums around the area may be a bit inflamed and uncomfortable (the filling was on the side of the tooth). But I am feeling a little paranoid about the snapping sound I heard so I looked up the chances of needles breaking to make myself feel better.

What I find makes me feel worse.

Reading some medical papers that seem to say the most common spot for a needle to break is during injections exactly where I had mine, and increases with multiple injections and moving the needle.

I’m not sure whether the swelling is due to a normal reaction to the anesthesia or because I have metal stuck in my face. In all the medical stuff I’ve found, it doesn’t talk about why the patients suspected a broken needle. In some cases the dentist knew immediately and took action.

So, dentists of Reddit, should I go back to the office and ask for an x ray immediately or wait 48 hours to see if the swelling goes down on its own?

I also just started taking something to fix an unrelated ear problem this morning, so I’m extra worried that will hide any additional inflammation a rogue needle would cause.