Infection and antibiotics question :-)

[Rls15]

Hi all

Around 10 days ago I visited the dentist because one of my upper front teeth (that already has two fillings in!) had been mildly throbbing (no pain, just felt like I could feel my pulse) and the sensitivity to cold had greatly reduced. When brushing with an electric toothbrush I felt a sharp, brief pain. The tooth responded well to vitality tests so the dentist sent me away, saying that my gum was inflamed from some trapped food and my tooth was angry because of that. I had had a check up a few weeks ago, with full X-Rays taken and nothing showed up.

Exactly one week later, the tooth developed constant pain. Around a 6 out of 10. I couldn't get an emergency appointment, so thought I would try the next day. I woke up the next day and my upper lip was completely swollen. The pain in the tooth wasn't so bad. I managed to get an emergency appointment, and the dentist says I need a root canal. He took an X-Ray and the tooth did hurt more when tapped. Not agony, but definitely hurt more than the week before.

The dentist drilled the back of my tooth through the filling, and injected an antibiotic injection and popped what I believe is a temporary filing on the back. He wrote a prescription for a five day course of antibiotics but told me not to take them unless it got worse. I left, and booked his next available appointment for a RC (not until early May!!)

This was yesterday morning, so not a lot of time has passed. My swelling doesn't appear to have reduced at all. It got a little worse when I woke up this morning but this must have been because I was lying down.

An update on the tooth itself - it has random shooting pains, I've had around 20 of these in a 12 hour period. It's like one single electric shock. I can cope with that though. It's better than constant pain! It also doesn't like being used to bite food.

Do you think I should take the antibiotics prescribed? It's not got worse, but it's definitely not better. I am impatient though! Does anybody know the reason why a dentist would advise not to take them unless things get worse? I'm getting married in a few months so I'm terrified that, because my appointment is two weeks away, the tooth will become discoloured. If that happens is there anything that can be done? It wouldn't worry me if it wasn't my upper central tooth! If the swelling doesn't go down, can they still do a RC?

Thank you!

 

[geos]

I believe doctors are now trying to push less on antibiotics since they now know they can cause more issues if they are over used. The infection will learn how to fight those antibiotics and later on, they will become super-infection that won't react to the antibiotics and take longer to go away.

For the discolored teeth, I don't think 2 weeks would be enough for it. If it does happen, yes their are multiple solutions, you can talk about it to your dentist.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

I have only been given antibotics once from what I can remember by my GP and that was because I had sinus problems. The other two times my dentist gave me to sort out an infection which have been treated by root canal (no I did not put of treatment) I always get problem dealt with the dentist ASAP and go regularly it just I got a difficult mouth to keep clean and try my hardest not to eat too much junk and rubbish.

The first time I had a problem with an abcess I went to the GP as I thought it was a sinus problem like last time, I should have gone to the dentist but did straight aftwards to book an appointment, I go every three months.

I agree with the above user doctors dont like giving them out these days,