I’ve been on antibiotics for my tooth infection for almost two weeks. It started to get better for a bit, but now it seems to be flaring back up. Am I on the wrong antibiotic? Is there something else I am supposed to be doing?
Darren
Dear Darren,
I think there has either been a drastic miscommunication between you and your dentist or he (or she) has a profound misunderstanding about how dental infections work. Antibiotics alone will not solve a tooth infection. The use of antibiotics is simply to hold back the tooth infection until you are able to get to the dentist for the true solution.
To truly deal with a dental infection, you need a dentist to get in there and physically remove the infected pulp. This can be done one of two ways. First, with a root canal treatment. This is the ideal solution because it saves your tooth.
The other option, if the tooth can’t be saved, would be to extract the tooth. If that becomes necessary than you would also want to replace the tooth. If you don’t, the other teeth will shift or tip into the empty space. This will throw your bite off and could lead to painful TMJ problems.
Your tooth is still infected. Even worse, it is reinfected which means it will spread. If you think about how close your tooth is to your heart, lungs, and brain, you will not want to let the infection get away from you. This is why tooth infections are considered dental emergencies.
I highly suggest you call another dentist pronto, tell them what is going on, and schedule another visit. I’m not sure I trust the dentist you are currently with.
This blog is brought to you by holistic TMJ dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.