Antibiotics for a Tooth Infection

I had gone to a dentist a couple of weeks ago because of a painful tooth. He told me that the tooth was infected and prescribed me some antibiotics. Things started getting better, but after the antibiotics were finished, things started going downhill again. Now, my cheek is completely swollen. Do I need a different antibiotic or another round of the same one?

Ross

Dear Ross,

I am hoping there is some miscommunication between you and your dentist here. Antibiotics alone will not resolve a tooth infection. What they can do is hold it at bay until you get to the appointment where your dentist can do something to actually deal with the infected tooth.

This is because the antibiotics cannot reach the root of the infection because that tissue dies. So, once you finish the antibiotics, the infection will flare back up. That’s what you’re dealing with now. Your tooth being swollen tells me that it has spread outside of your tooth. I would consider this a dental emergency. It will continue to spread and can become life threatening. You don’t want it to reach your brain or move downward to your throat, which can close up on you.

There are only two ways to truly deal with a tooth infection. The first is a root canal treatment. This is the ideal treatment because it will save the tooth. If the infection has gone too far, then the only thing to do after that is have the tooth extracted. This creates a gap where the other teeth can drift or tip into the spot. If you don’t replace the tooth, you could end up with TMJ Disorder.

Your dentist should have scheduled a follow up visit for the root canal treatment. I don’t understand why he didn’t. That’s going to be your first step. Get in to have a root canal treatment.

This blog is brought to you by Nashville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Wickness.