I had an infected back molar. The area was already pretty swollen. My dentist said that a root canal treatment is no longer possible and that I would need to have the tooth extracted. I was disappointed, but went ahead with it. After the extraction, my dentist prescribed me amoxicillin in order to treat the infection. It’s been four days since then and the swelling has gotten worse instead of better. The same is true of the pain I’m in. In fact, the painkillers he gave me are practically useless. Now the area around the infection is almost the size of a golf ball. Is this normal?
Nikki
Dear Nikki,
It sounds like this antibiotic is not working for your type of infection. There are some infections that are resistant to amoxicillin. You need to report this to your dentist so that they can switch you to a different antibiotic. Your infection has gotten worse. Don’t put off calling because this is quite serious. In fact, I would consider it a dental emergency.
If a tooth is too far gone for a root canal treatment to solve the problem, then a tooth extraction is the right procedure. Did your dentist mention the need to replace this tooth?
It is not a great idea to leave an open space in your bite. If you do that, then the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the open space. This will throw off your bite. When that happens, you risk TMJ Disorder. That can leave you with a lifetime of headaches and jaw pain unless you treat it.
The best type of tooth replacement is a dental implant. This is the closest to having a healthy, natural tooth in your mouth. There are other, less expensive, options if cost is an issue. Your dentist should provide you with all of your options. Once the infection is dealt with, you will want to keep that space open. Until you decide on your permanent replacement, you could get a dental flipper.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.