I had a painful tooth and went in to see a dentist. He said it is infected and placed me on some antibiotics, I think it was amoxicillin. It did get better at first but now I think it is back and my face is starting to swell. Did I need a different antibiotic?

Casey

Dear Casey,

Is it possible your dentist asked you to schedule a follow-up appointment and it slipped your mind? The reason I am asking this is antibiotics alone are not the correct treatment for a tooth infection. They are often prescribed to keep the infection at bay until the dentist has time to deal with the infection itself. This is usually done with a root canal treatment. They’ll often cover the tooth with a porcelain crown as well.

Here is the problem with antibiotics. Once the infection gets serious the pulp inside the tooth dies. When that happens, there is no longer blood flow in the tooth. That means the antibiotic can no longer reach the source of the infection.

It will keep it from spreading for a time, but eventually, the antibiotics run out. With the source of the infection still viable, it begins to spread again. This is what is happening to you.

Don’t Mess With Dental Infections

Don’t mess with this. You mentioned your face is starting to swell. I would consider this a dental emergency. you need to see a dentist who is willing to treat this today.

Believe it or not, there are still people who die from tooth infections. Think about how close your jaw is to your brain, heart, and lungs. If you let the infection get that far, it turns life-threatening quickly.

If your dentist didn’t plan on doing anything other than the antibiotics, that is a serious concern. It would mean he doesn’t have a real understanding of how dental infections work. That is the bare basics when it comes dental care. In my opinion, if that is the case you need to find a new dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.