I had a tooth infection. I wanted a root canal treatment, but the dentist said the tooth had to be pulled. We did that and he put me on amoxicillan. Now, even after the extraction, my jaw is still swollen. The area below the jaw is swollen and hard. It feels like there is a golf ball in there and I am in pain all the time. Should he have done the root canal treatment?
Ken
Dear Ken,
Please bear in mind that I haven’t examined you, nor did I see any x-rays. Because of that, I can only give you some generalities. A root canal treatment can take care of a tooth infection, however, there are times it is no longer a viable option. Sometimes the infection has gone too far. Sometimes the decay on the tooth is too extensive.
I don’t know what your situation was but it sounds like your dentist felt that a root canal treatment would not solve your problem. The fact that even after your tooth extraction there is an infection there in the jaw tells me your infection was pretty extensive. Tooth infections are considered dental emergencies so it is always better to get seen as soon as possible.
It sounds like the problem you are facing is amoxicillin is not working for your infection. It may be a strain that is resistant to that antibiotic. This doesn’t mean your dentist did anything wrong. It is a good choice for a first antibiotic. However, you need to be on something else.
I am going to suggest you call your dentist and let them know what is going on. They should call in a new prescription with a different antibiotic for you.
This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Dentist Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.