Tag Archives: TMJ disorder

Dental Emergency

Why Aren’t My Antibiotics Working?

I had what I thought was a sinus infection. My doctor just called me in an antibiotic because I get them all the time. However, I realized the next day that a tooth was seriously hurting. I figured the antibiotics would work either way, but they are not. The tooth felt better for a short period of time and then started hurting again. It hasn’t improved since. Are you supposed to take a different antibiotic for tooth infections than you would for a sinus infection?

Brandon

Dear Brandon,

Woman holding her jaw from a toothache

While I don’t know what type of antibiotic you used, that is not the main problem for why you are not healing. Antibiotics are used for tooth infections, but only to help get the infection under control. Antibiotics cannot cure an infected tooth. The only way to do that is for a dentist to remove the damaged pulp. Yours will begin to spread, which is why toothaches are considered dental emergencies.

There are two ways to do that. First, with a root canal treatment. This is the ideal option because it can save most of your tooth. The other way to deal with an infected tooth is to extract it. Once a tooth is extracted, it will need to be replaced.

If it is left as an open area, the other teeth will drift or tip into that spot, which will throw off your bite and lead to painful TMJ Disorder. Replacing the tooth, with a dental implant will protect your bite. It is also a very nice tooth replacement that will look, feel, and function just like your natural tooth structure.

Don’t put off getting this looked at by a dentist to get the right treatment. Tooth infections spread outside of the jaw. When lift untreated, they can become life threatening. People still die from tooth infections every year. Plus, the sooner you get in with your dentist, the better chance you have to save your tooth.

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Emergency Dentist

Tooth Infection and No Money

What do you do if you do not have money but you have a tooth infection? I’ve got a back tooth which has been bothering me and I suspected it was infected, but now my cheek is swollen up to the size of a golf ball. Is there anything I can do at home for this or is there an antibiotic my medical doctor can provide? Though I do not have dental insurance, I do have medical insurance.

Susan

Dear Susan,

A woman grabbing her jaw in need of an emergency dentist

I am sorry that you are going through this. It is discouraging when you need basic care and cannot afford it. I want to warn you about the concept of just using antibiotics as a means of dealing with a dental infection. This can actually end up end up placing you in a worse situation than you were in before taking the antibiotics. This is because the antibiotics will temporarily hold the infection at bay. Then, once the antibiotics are completed, the infection will flare back up stronger than before.

There are only two ways to truly get rid of a tooth infection: a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction. With a root canal treatment, you remove all the infected pulp in the tooth. This will enable you to save the tooth. If that is not a possibility, than you can extract the tooth. Ideally, you will want to replace that tooth. Otherwise, the other teeth will shift or tip into the space. This can lead to painful TMJ Disorder.

With your cheek swollen up, you have a dental emergency on your hands and need to be seen as soon as possible. When a tooth infection is left untreated, it will continue to spread, even outside of the tooth. People still die from tooth infections, but only if it is allowed to spread.

Many dentists are sympathetic to patients in your circumstance. I would call around and see who is willing to work with you by treating the infection and allowing your to pay out the treatment. You may want to start by calling around to dentists who advertise as affordable dentists.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.