No one likes tooth pains, and the situation could be even worse when it’s an abscessed tooth. If you have ever suffered from this condition, then you definitely understand that the pain, swelling, and discomfort can be unbearable. The use of antibiotics is an important part of treating an abscessed tooth, as it can help fight the infection and prevent complications.
Knowing how to work with antibiotics and at what point in the process they are required may be a big difference maker in your dental health. So let’s look at how antibiotics can help address this common yet serious dental condition.
What is an Abscessed Tooth?
An abscessed tooth is an infection at the root of the tooth or between the tooth and gum. The cause of an abscessed tooth is a bacterial invasion into the pulp, commonly through untreated cavities, gum disease, or trauma. Once bacteria invade the pulp, they provoke an inflammatory reaction and infection, forming a pocket of an infection filled with pus that has the extraordinary ability to produce tremendous amounts of pressure and pain.
In simple words, an abscess is considered your body’s response to fight the infection caused by bacteria. It encases the infection so that the disease is prevented from spreading, but the infection gets trapped between swollen red tissue, causing discomfort and sometimes fever.
This untreated tooth abscess can lead to seriously complicated problems. Infection will spread to other parts of the body, such as the jaw, neck, and even the brain. Now you see, antibiotics can be quite useful, right?
How Antibiotics Function Against Bacterial Infections
Antibiotics are medicines meant to kill bacteria or inhibit the growth and multiplication of such organisms. An abscessed tooth is generally caused by a bacterial infection which leads to a patient being put on antibiotics to control the infection. It also helps alleviate symptoms while preventing it from spreading to any other parts of the body.
Antibiotics are part of the treatment but not the solution in itself. An infection source (often the abscess itself) needs intervention in the form of drainage or a root canal. Still, antibiotics play an important role in infection management overall.
When To Use Antibiotics For a Tooth Abscess
While antibiotics treat almost all forms of bacterial infections, it’s not necessarily required to use them in each case of tooth abscess. Dentists generally prescribe antibiotics in a situation when:
- The Infection is Severe: If the infection spreads from the root of the tooth into the jaw or neck, then antibiotics become indispensable. Without antibiotics, the infection will spread at a high speed and could be fatal to someone’s life.
- Weak Immune System: If your immune system happens to be weakened (for example, due to diabetes, some form of cancer treatment, or an autoimmune disorder), then your body may not be able to fight an infection on its own. In such cases, antibiotics can help stop the infection from spreading.
- Symptoms of Generalized Infection: Patients with such symptoms, which include fever, chills, lethargy, and swollen lymph nodes, indicate that the infection is not restricted to the tooth only but has generalized and requires prompt antibiotic treatment.
The Limitations of Antibiotics: Why They Won’t Fix It
Most people believe in and make the common mistake of thinking that antibiotics can heal the abscessed tooth. Well, the truth is that antibiotics may help control the spreading infection and provide some relief temporarily, but they do not treat the cause of the abscess.
Why? Because antibiotics do not remove the infected tissue or drain the pus-filled pocket caused by the abscess. The bacterial load can be brought under control, and the general spread of the infection can be limited, but the source of the disease will continue to persist. The abscess might only return after treatment with antibiotics if not treated properly by the dentist.
The two treatments after your treatment for the infection is cured:
- Drainage: A form of treatment where to reduce the pressure and pain caused by the pus in the abscess, the dentist makes a small incision inside to allow the pus to run out.
- Root Canal Therapy: This is a procedure that involves the removal of infected pulp inside the tooth, cleaning, and sealing the space to prevent the infection from happening again.
(Note: In extreme cases where the tooth cannot be saved, extraction may be considered to prevent the infection from getting worse.)
Other Remedies to Manage an Abscessed Tooth
Other than antibiotics, there are other therapies which help in controlling the symptoms of an abscessed tooth. Over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen pain relievers may help alleviate discomfort although they would not eradicate the infection causing it. Rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater will also reduce pain and suck out some of the pus to give temporary relief in part through pressure reduction.
The Bottom Line
The use of antibiotics in the treatment of an abscessed tooth is quite important for preventing the bacterial infection from spreading further. However, antibiotics alone do not treat the root cause of the problem. Proper dental care, either by drainage or by root canal treatment, remains the backbone of addressing the infection. In cases where the tooth cannot be saved, extraction followed by a dental implant may be necessary. Depending on the type of implant and the clinic’s reputation, dental implant cost in Chennai can vary.