I have an infected tooth and am in a lot of pain. However, I don’t have much money, nor do I have dental insurance. I do have medical insurance, so I could go to a dentist to get an antibiotic. Do you have an antibiotic that you would recommend in my situation? There is now swelling all the up my cheek toward my temple and I’m absolutely miserable.
Stanley
Dear Stanley,
You’ve got a serious situation on your hands here. Your tooth infection is spreading. Right now you have a dental emergency. You do not want to let it get to your brain because your dental emergency can turn life threatening.
A tooth infection is different from other bacterial infections where you can take an antibiotic and be done with it. There are only two ways to get rid of an infection in a tooth. Both include getting rid of the infected pulp. You can do that with a root canal treatment or by extracting the tooth. The root canal treatment is the ideal because it will save the tooth.
If you end up with an extraction, you’ll want to replace the tooth as well. Otherwise, you risk the other teeth shifting or tipping into the empty space. This will throw off your bite and it could lead to TMJ disorder.
The most an antibiotic can do is hold the infection at bay until you get in to see a dentist. Once the medication runs out, the infection will flare back up and you’ll be in an even worse situation. You need to get this treated properly. People still die from untreated tooth infections.
I realize money is an issue here. I would do a search for an affordable dentist in your area. They would be more likely to work with you on payments.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. James Williams.