Posted by writeradmin
I have an infected tooth. I went to see an emergency dentist because I don’t really have a dentist at the moment and he gave me some antibiotics. They did help, but once they ran out the infection flared back up. Now my cheek is swollen. Do you have a recommendation for me? Should I try to get that dentist to give me a refill or do I need him to prescribe a different brand?
Lance
Dear Lance,
Either the dentist you went to did not give you all of the information or in the confusion of everything going on with you being in pain you didn’t catch everything he said. When you have an infected tooth, the antibiotics will hold the infection at bay, but it will not cure the infected tooth. It is mostly there to keep things under control until you can get the proper treatment.
There are two ways to cure an infected tooth, both of them include removing the infected pulp. The first way is by having a root canal treatment. This can remove the infection while saving your tooth. The second option is to have the tooth extracted.
If you end up extracting your tooth, then you will also need to replace it. Otherwise, the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the empty space. That will throw off your bite and will lead to jaw pain and headaches. The best tooth replacement is a dental implant.
I would not put off getting this treated. Your cheek is now swollen which means you have a dental emergency on your hands. It’s going to continue to spread. Think about how close your jaw is to your brain. You do not want it getting that far. If that happens, it can turn life threatening. People still die from untreated tooth infections.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.