Gum Still Swollen After Antibiotics

[osmosian]

Okay so I've never looked after my teeth, never really been to the dentist either due to a childhood fear. As such I have three teeth that need to be taken out and several fillings that need sorting.
I went to the dentist earlier this week due to some swelling and pain, and was prescribed antibiotics for five days, and told I could have my tooth taken out then or wait until I can get an appointment at the hospital due to my anxiety.
Of course, I thought the antibiotics would stop the swelling and the pain and I could probably live with the tooth until I can get a hospital appointment in a few months, so I opted for that.
I was wrong, as I often am. Not only have the antibiotics not stopped the swelling and pain, but it seems to be worse than it was before the dentist. I have two more antibiotics to take of my prescription, but they don't seem to do anything. I'll take them, obviously, but I'm dubious that they will work.
Feeling my gum I can feel a large swelling where the abscess must be, but nothing will help alleviate it. I'm swilling it with salt water, I'm taking ibuprofen, I'm taking vitamins. I'm doing everything that I heard could help and it just keeps getting worse.
Should I make a dentist appointment for tomorrow and swallow my fear and have the tooth taken? I also heard that swelling makes you less receptive to the numbing agents, so will my dentist even take my tooth now that the swelling is worse?
This is just severely depressing me. I can barely sleep, barely eat or drink anything. I'm honestly so miserable, I basically just cry all day.

 

[drhirst]

Hi osmosian,
You really are suffering with this one! If the antibiotics have had no effect so far, it maybe because the particular bacteria that are causing you this abscess are resistant to your antibiotic. A course of a different antibiotic may prove more effective. However, you need to remember that this will only provide short term relief before the abscess returns as the effect of the antibiotic wears off.
I guess your options are:
1) let your local dentist try to take it out. If it does not numb well he could then proceed to option 2.
2) let him drain the abscess, this is a more minor procedure where he numbs the skin over the swelling (or drills a small hole in the remaining tooth itself) and then pops the abscess. This may then allow the antibiotics to be more effective, a subsequent attempt at extraction more likely to work as the local anaesthetic should work better or buy you time to get an appointment at the hospital.
Go see him and explain what has happened, I am sure he will be able to help you.
Best of luck
Lincoln