Tooth abscess dentist won't give antibiotics

Mum_of498

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me please

I've got a tooth abscess dentist confirmed it today I'm booked in for 2 weeks to have it pulled out. My issue is he won't prescribe me antibiotics in the past I've had antibiotics when had abscess. He says he can't prescribe unless I get a high temperature etc.

Obviously he's the professional not myself I've had a infected tooth out before and when it was numbed it hurt and I had to have antibiotics and wait he says I wasn't numbed enough. But I've always had antibiotics then had it out?

Thanks

Mum_of498

The reason for my post is as it hurts slightly I don't want it get worse and I'm petrified of it hurting more if it's just left

Antibiotics is not the treatment having it pulled out is he told me. I've had antibiotics then pulled out.

Thank you

brook2jack

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem which could result , in our lifetime, in people dying from trivial problems as our antibiotics become ineffective. Englands chief medical officer called it a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Unless there is systemic spread i.e. A raised temperature , or spread to airways etc then the advice is not to give antibiotics.

GlasweJen

Antibiotics aren't supposed to be prescribed now unless the infection is serious and even then the health professional should be swabbing to get the infection checked to see which antibiotic will work.

Just keep your mouth as clean as possible and hopefully your body will fight the infection naturally.

jenniewb

OP if it's any help; I had a wisdom tooth taken out a few years ago. It was cracked and half had broken away (vertically) and was agony. It was also very infected, the roof of my mouth was very swollen and it had to be taken out in an emergency after about 2 weeks of repeatedly needing to have the replacement filling replaced and the infection not responding to the dressing/treatment.


However, when it was taken out by a dental teaching hospital (ie very well trained dentists performing my treatment to educate students watching) they took the tooth out and then drained the abscess but I did not have to take anti-biotics. This despite my level of poor health (reduced immune system) and I did not get an infection.


It's not wise to give an antibiotic to safeguard against infection because of the resistance issue, but also because it may be the infection has gone away itself or your body develops a way out itself. This is my understanding of it and TBH given my experience I'm kind of pleased I didn't have to take any- I think maybe treatments may have improved because they seemed with my wisdom tooth for example to have gotten rid of the infection by just draining it and applying a dressing which came out by itself (it was supposed to). I think the old school of thought was to err on the side of caution but given the current thinking I think this has changed- precaution anti-biotics are what is helping to speed up the anti-biotics time bomb. I'm not saying all experiences are like mine- I've had experiences that go against mine- but I understand the need to wait and see if an infection cannot be dealt with by your body before acting in advance.
I don't think this is negligent I think it's the medical and dental services changing to adapt to the current problems to do with infection levels and antibiotic resistance.

Teapot55

Rinsing with hot water (as hot as you can bear) with a bit of salt in it can be very good for reducing swelling.

teddysmum

Antibiotics aren't pain killers (they fight infection) so your dentists suggestion of not enough anaesthesia is correct. Anxiety can make pain worse,too, so don't go into things expecting them to hurt.


A foreign dentist (who thankfully went home for a holiday and stayed) once hurt me while doing a descale (he said it was to be expected; hence my relief that he stayed away) and so I expected to be hut every time, but all was fine ; even for an extraction that I was expecting , only to find it had been done. (This was a large molar (next to wisdom) and the only pain was soreness afterwards.