Office Location: 540 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40508
New patients: 855-610-7695 | Existing patients: 859-252-0314
Williams Family Dentistry
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Dr. Williams
    • Meet Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Request an Appointment
    • What Can I Expect My First Visit?
    • Patient Forms
    • Financial Policies
    • Map to Our Office
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Teeth Whitening
  • Tooth Replacement
    • Dental Implants
    • Dentures
    • Implant Overdentures
  • Other Services
    • Pediatric Dentist
    • Emergency Dentist
    • Sedation Dentist
    • Wisdom Teeth
    • Mercury-Free Dentist
    • Metal-Free Dentist
    • Sleep Apnea
Our Reviews
  • Facebook
  • Google

Infected Wisdom Tooth

Posted on January 16, 2020 by writeradmin.

I have a wisdom tooth which began to hurt. I scheduled a dental appointment and they told me it was infected and needed to be extracted. The dentist suggested I just get all the wisdom teeth extracted while I’m there. That’s going to be very expensive, but I agreed. He gave me antibiotics and told me to schedule the extraction. I didn’t actually schedule the extraction. The antibiotics kicked in and the tooth no longer hurt so I decided I didn’t need to. Now it’s hurting again. Is the infection back? Should I get more antibiotics?

Livvie

Dear Livvie,

Woman grabbing her jaw in pain, in need of an emergency dentist

The tooth infection never actually went away. The only thing an antibiotic does is hold it at bay. The medicine kept it in check and then when the medicine was done, it flared back up. Dental infections are different than other types. In order for the infection to completely go away, it has to be physically removed by the dentist either with a root canal treatment or by extracting the tooth. In your case, what happened is the antibiotic helped with the infection which made you feel better, but didn’t really eradicate the infection.

These need to be taken seriously because the infection will spread. Even in the 21st century, people still die from tooth infections. Think about how close your brain is to your jaw. If it spreads quickly, your life could be at risk.

Do You Need to Have All Your Wisdom Teeth Extracted?

You’re extracting this tooth because it is infected. You didn’t mention anything about the teeth being impacted. Unless they are (or also are infected) I see no reason to extract the other three. That is a waste of money and an unnecessary risk. I recommend calling the office and asking why he wants the other three wisdom teeth removed. While you’re on the phone with them, schedule your extraction.

Many patients avoid procedures like this because of dental anxiety. Let’s face it, even if you’re not someone who avoids the dentist, I doubt you’d be jumping up and down about the idea of a tooth being pulled. Fortunately, there is a way to do this in an anxiety-free (and pain-free) way.

Make sure the dentist who is doing the extraction has sedation dentistry available. This will allow you to sleep through the procedure if you want to.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dr. John Weaver.

Filed Under: Emergency Dentist Tagged With: antibiotics for tooth infection, Infected tooth, sedation dentist, wisdom tooth extraction

Recent Posts

  • Burning Mouth Syndrome or Zirconia Allergy
  • Tooth Infected and No Money
  • Can I Have a Pretty Smile After Twenty-Seven Years in Dentures
  • Do I Need an Oral Surgeon to Remove this Tooth?
  • Whitening Teeth with Lemons
Do you have a question for a dentist? Get a personal answer.
Ask a Dentist

Archives

  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018

Categories

  • 8
  • Affordable Dentist
  • Best Kentucky Dentists
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Dental Implants
  • Dentures
  • Emergency Dentist
  • Holistic Dentist
  • Lexington Dentist
  • metal-free dentist
  • Pediatric Dentist
  • Porcelain Veneers
  • Sedation Dentist
  • Teeth Whitening
  • Wisdom Teeth
  • Zirconia Crowns
  • Zirconia Dental Implants
  • Zirconia Dental Implants
Request
an Appointment
Please fill out short form. When we receive your information, one of our staff members will contact you to set up a specific appointment.
540 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40508
New Patients: 855-610-7695
Existing Patients: 859-252-0314
Office Hours:
Mon - Thur: 8am – 5pm
Every Other Friday: 8am – 5pm
Williams Family Dentistry
  • Lexington KY Affordable Dentist
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog

© 2025 Kentucky Dental Group • All rights reserved Privacy Policy
Website Design and SEO by Infinity Dental Web IDW Copyright Logo

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Dr. Williams
    • Meet Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Request an Appointment
    • What Can I Expect My First Visit?
    • Patient Forms
    • Financial Policies
    • Map to Our Office
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Teeth Whitening
  • Tooth Replacement
    • Dental Implants
    • Dentures
    • Implant Overdentures
  • Other Services
    • Pediatric Dentist
    • Emergency Dentist
    • Sedation Dentist
    • Wisdom Teeth
    • Mercury-Free Dentist
    • Metal-Free Dentist
    • Sleep Apnea
  • New Patients Click to Call
    (855) 610-7695
  •  
  • Existing Patients Click to Call
    (859) 252-0314