Antibiotics for dental abscess

[ElizK]

How many days worth of antibiotics does your dentist prescribe for an abscess? I've done two rounds of antibiotics for this stupid thing, both times it started getting better, but i was only prescribed 7 days the first time, and 6 days the 2nd time. Why doesn't he just give me a full 10 days worth? Is this typical?

I get to go back to the dentist AGAIN tomorrow morning. The root canal was finished on the 10th.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I was on one type of antibiotics that caused a secondary infection, so I had to go off of them. The 2nd antibiotic they put me on was only until the root canal was finished. Of course I also had a drainage tube in my gum, too, since I was so swollen.

I think the 2nd round was 8 days leading up to the root canal.

 

[JessicaR]

How many days worth of antibiotics does your dentist prescribe for an abscess? I've done two rounds of antibiotics for this stupid thing, both times it started getting better, but i was only prescribed 7 days the first time, and 6 days the 2nd time. Why doesn't he just give me a full 10 days worth? Is this typical?

I get to go back to the dentist AGAIN tomorrow morning. The root canal was finished on the 10th.

It sounds like you need a different antibiotic not a longer course of the same.
Penicillin's a common first line antibiotic and Clindamycin or even Augmentin would be better if the first didn't work.

This is if you have no allergies to any of the above.

I hope they get the infection cleared out and you start feeling better.

 

[ElizK]

It sounds like you need a different antibiotic not a longer course of the same.
Penicillin's a common first line antibiotic and Clindamycin or even Augmentin would be better if the first didn't work.

This is if you have no allergies to any of the above.

I hope they get the infection cleared out and you start feeling better.

I took two different antibiotics. Unfortunately, I can't remember what either of them were. I am allergic to penicillin, though.

I hope this gets cleared up, too! Thanks. I've been dealing with this since the middle of Nov. I have zero tooth pain, so that's good. But now my face is starting to swell a little, my ear feels odd, and there's pus oozing around the tooth that was just root canalled. FUN.

 

[JessicaR]

I took two different antibiotics. Unfortunately, I can't remember what either of them were. I am allergic to penicillin, though.

I hope this gets cleared up, too! Thanks. I've been dealing with this since the middle of Nov. I have zero tooth pain, so that's good. But now my face is starting to swell a little, my ear feels odd, and there's pus oozing around the tooth that was just root canalled. FUN.

I know you aren't BUT do not fool around with an infection. Your symptoms of swelling and oozing pus are not good and clearly indicates an active infection. If your dentist hasn't been able to control it go see your doctor. At this point after two different antibiotics your infection is resistant and likely becoming more so due to the meds or course chosen. You have had an active infection since mid November? I'm guessing the dentist isn't an endodontist. You may want to seek one out now.

So sorry you are deling with this.

 

[DizBelle]

I took two different antibiotics. Unfortunately, I can't remember what either of them were. I am allergic to penicillin, though.

I hope this gets cleared up, too! Thanks. I've been dealing with this since the middle of Nov. I have zero tooth pain, so that's good. But now my face is starting to swell a little, my ear feels odd, and there's pus oozing around the tooth that was just root canalled. FUN.

Uh, eeeww....

 

[ElizK]

Uh, eeeww....

Pus is never pretty.

 

[travelbug]

When I had an abscessed tooth (also following a root canal and crown), I was put on 10 days of antibiotics. When the infection still didn't clear up, they had to take off the crown, go back into the tooth and find out what was going on in there. NOT FUN. Then I was put on another 10 days of antibiotics and things cleared up quickly that time.

Good luck! I hope they get this straightened out for you soon!

 

[Bilberry]

I'm not sure about antibiotics for dental abscess, but used to have bad gums and teeth health. Nearly every visit to the dentist was an adventure. A few years I began taking D3 and eating a diet lower in sugar. Thankfully my dental issues went away. And my dentist is amazed.

This article by Dr Guyenet was pretty much what I did to reverse my poor dental health.

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/12/dr-mellanbys-tooth-decay-reversal-diet.html

 

[rascalmom]

OP - I'm married to a dentist and have worked in his office on and off for the past 25 years. I am going to ask him when he gets home, but it sounds to me like you have more than just residual infection following a root canal.

Sometimes an extra canal doesn't show on an x-ray and the dentist or endodontist can miss it - particularly when there is a lot of infection. Most teeth have a fairly "standard" number of nerve canals, but there are exceptions. I know - I had one myself....and it was an endodontist that missed it.

With swelling and pus though, especially after this many weeks - you need to be seen again and make sure they take this seriously.

 

[ElizK]

OP - I'm married to a dentist and have worked in his office on and off for the past 25 years. I am going to ask him when he gets home, but it sounds to me like you have more than just residual infection following a root canal.

Sometimes an extra canal doesn't show on an x-ray and the dentist or endodontist can miss it - particularly when there is a lot of infection. Most teeth have a fairly "standard" number of nerve canals, but there are exceptions. I know - I had one myself....and it was an endodontist that missed it.

With swelling and pus though, especially after this many weeks - you need to be seen again and make sure they take this seriously.

Thanks, I appreciate any info you can get. I do have an appt tomorrow morning.

 

[rascalmom]

DH said you definitely need to be seen again:

1) the tooth may be cracked
2) the root canal may need to be redone
3) you may need to go an endodontist for an apicoectomy (sp)
4) it is possible that the tooth may have to be extracted

He did say one week on antibiotics after a root canal is typical, so you've likely got something more going on here.

Good luck!

 

[ElizK]

DH said you definitely need to be seen again:

1) the tooth may be cracked
2) the root canal may need to be redone
3) you may need to go an endodontist for an apicoectomy (sp)
4) it is possible that the tooth may have to be extracted

He did say one week on antibiotics after a root canal is typical, so you'velikely got something more going on here.

Good luck!

Thank you! and thank him, too, please.

 

[rascalmom]

You're welcome!

 

[ckdsnynt]

My daughter had a root canal with no problems. Lasted about ten years. But then she started having the worst sinus infections. She is allergic to penicillin, sulfa, and several other anitibiotics and is also a diabetic. Oh, and she has terrible allergies! The sinus infection would be treated and get better then come back. After about a year of this going round and round, at a routine dental exam, she told the dentist about it and he re-examined her tooth. There he found two cracks going down the length of the tooth. Apparently, all of the root had not been removed by the former dentist when the canal was done and then the tooth cracked, allowing the infection to get into the tooth which then migrated into the sinus cavity. After the tooth was removed, she hasn't had a single sinus infection! Teeth do crack, even when there is a crown or root canal! Hope they figure out what is the matter with yours!

 

[JessicaR]

Checking on you to see how you made out today at the dentist. Hope you are feeling better than yesterday!

 

[ElizK]

Checking on you to see how you made out today at the dentist. Hope you are feeling better than yesterday!

Thank you for checking on me. I have no answers. There isn't anything wrong with any of my teeth. BUT he saw some problems with the gum tissue, thinks the problem could be systemic. I've been referred to a clinic that deals with problems of the mouth, where I get to see SEVEN different kinds of doctors, including an ENT, periodontist, oral surgeon, etc. Where's Dr. House when you need him. Thanks again for asking.