I’m worried my dentist is putting my life in danger. I have a tooth infection. He wrote me a prescription for antibiotics but told me not to take it until a week before my followup appointment and procedure. That’s not for THREE WEEKS. I’ve always been told that tooth infections are a dental emergency and need to be dealt with right away. I’m worried he’s putting my life in danger with this delay.
Brandon
Dear Brandon,
You’re right that tooth infections are considered a dental emergency. This is because if they’re not treated they will spread. When you think about how close your jaw is to your brain, heart, and lungs, you can see that you don’t want to allow an infection to grow out of your jaw area.
That being said, it is possible that your infection is so small your dentist knows you have time and you are not in any danger. The antibiotic is a precaution to keep the bacteria growth down as you are going into the procedure to deal with your infection, which I’m assuming at this point is a simple root canal treatment.
If the infection starts to take off and you are in pain, call your dentist back and tell him what is going on. He should get you in right away if that is the case. If he doesn’t and is just leaving you in pain, there are dentists who will treat non-established patients in situations such as yours. You can do an internet search and call some offices.
I hope this puts your mind at ease. The key here is pain and progression. If pain is happening, you shouldn’t be left without aid. If it is progressing quickly, he needs to get you in sooner than originally planned.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.