Will antibiotics help treat my dental pain?

Antibiotics are usually prescribed for infections caused by bacteria, and however, toothaches should not be treated with antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. With an understanding of antibiotics, you can be more confident in your conversations with your dentist about your pain and how to avoid it.

Understand your symptoms
If you have any symptoms, you should consult your dentist. The pain of a toothache will most likely happen when you eat hot or cold foods or when doing nothing at all. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are over-the-counter pain relievers that can be taken to ease toothache pain. However, only your dentist can determine whether you need antibiotics.

What are the best antibiotics for treating a tooth infection?
Occasionally, antibiotics are not needed for tooth infections. It is possible that your dentist can drain the abscess in some cases. The infected tooth might need to be removed in other cases, or a root canal may be needed.

It is generally recommended to use antibiotics when:

• You have a severe infection
• with the spread of the infection
• your immune system is weakened

Having an infection can require you to take different antibiotics depending on what type of bacteria is responsible. Antibiotics can be divided into different classes based on how they attack bacteria. It would be best to ask your dentist for an antibiotic that will altogether remove your infection.

• Penicillin and amoxicillin are the most common penicillin-class antibiotics that can treat tooth infections.

• For some types of bacterial infections, metronidazole may be prescribed. The combination of this drug and penicillin is sometimes prescribed to cover a wider variety of bacterial species.
• Many people are allergic to penicillin antibiotics, a standard treatment for dental infections. In case you have experienced allergic reactions to medications in the past, tell your dentist.

Your dentist might prescribe a different antibiotic if you are allergic to penicillin, such as clindamycin or erythromycin.

A dentist should be consulted if you are experiencing persistent and throbbing pain, sensitivity to temperature or pressure and swelling, etc.
Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!