How long should I be on an antibiotic for an abscessed tooth before having it pulled

How long should I be on an antibiotic for an abscessed tooth befo…?

http://www.chacha.com/question/how-long-should-i-be-on-an-antibiotic-for-an-abscessed-tooth-before-having-it-pulled

Only your doctor can tell you how long to take them. Call him or a different dentist for a second opinion. ChaCha!

Related Questions Answered on Y!Answers

Have an abscessed tooth. Was given antibiotics for it. How long before I can see Dentist?

Q: This is my FIRST abscess and it hurts REALLY bad. It’s on the lower right side jaw. I’m swelled and everything. I called the Dentist answering service, since they’re not open on weekends, and was told to go to the doctor first to see if it’s an infection. The guy said if it’s an infection I would need antibiotics for it and it would have to clear FIRST before the dentist could do any work. He said he told me that because he didn’t want me to have to waste a trip for nothing (the dentist) is about 20 miles away. Went to the doc and was prescribed Darvocet and amoxicillin. They said to take the amoxicillin all the way til empty. Afterwards, should I then see dentist about having the tooth just pulled? I don’t care if they pull it or anything. Would extracting the tooth be cheaper then filling it or anything? I have no insurance til January when my work insurance kicks in. Kind of in a bind. Also, what are some ways to help speed up the abscess popping? I won’t pop it with a needle or anything like that, I want it to go on it’s own. What are some good methods to help it come to a head?

A: I would advise you to see the dentist sometime the following week. Reason why we want to wait a few days before anything is done is b/c an infected tooth is difficult to anesthetize. That’s if the tooth were to be pulled, root canal, or restoration is placed. Dentistry is not fun for you or for the dentist if the tooth isn’t anesthetized. Pulling a tooth is cheaper (generally), but not always the best thing. If a tooth is restorable and is of ‘strategic’ value (meaning a tooth that’s important like a first molar or a front tooth), then it will be worth keeping it rather than pulling. However, if it’s a wisdom tooth, then I would rec’d it be pulled. Yeah you could wait till Jan. The danger is that if the infection comes back before Jan, it may be more difficult to control with antibiotics. As we treat infections with antibiotics, the re-infecting bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics. The infection could also spread to other areas, including eyes, throat, and even to the heart. Ludwigs angina is potentially fatal. Rare but of a concern. Try working something out with the dentist as far as cost. Doesn’t hurt to ask. Many times I will do discount cases, or even free. You could use warm salt rinses, compresses to help but generally the only way to rid of the abscess is to get rid of the source of infection by pulling, root canal, filling. Good luck and see the dentist this week. They will determine if its best to keep it or pull it. Take care.

How long for swelling to go down after infected molar pulled?

Q: I had an abscessed back molar…it was really really bad…rather than spend 2K on a root canal and crown, I chose to have it pulled. That was Tuesday, today is Sunday morning. My cheek seems to still be a little swollen. How long should I expect to have swelling? I have seen a general guideline of four days but is it longer if the tooth was abscess when it was pulled? The pain has just about subsided at this point so I am not too worried that it is more than just swelling but wondering if infection in the gum when the tooth was pulled makes the swelling last longer?I have been on antibiotics since the day before the extraction as well as pain killers.

A: There could have been bruising on the cheek (inside too) from the effort of having it pulled, so it may take a bit longer, but I would think that it should be pretty much back to normal by today.Have you been icing it? Bag of frozen peas on the cheek could help. If it isn’t better by Monday then go back to make sure there is no residual problem. Also, get some other opinions from friends/family. It may not be swollen at all but you are just thinking it is , that is common too!