A tooth infection occurs when harmful bacteria damage teeth and surrounding structures. Like any other infection, a dental infection triggers an immune response, causing inflammation with swelling, redness, and pain; if it progresses, it can develop into an abscess with pus accumulation. If you neglect a dental infection and leave it untreated for a long time, In that case, it can cause serious events because bacteria in your mouth escape into the bloodstream and ultimately damage the vital organs in your body.

So, treating a tooth infection is essential once you recognize it.

What are the treatment options for dental infections?

A dentist can manage an infection by draining abscesses, filling decayed teeth after removing bacteria, deep cleaning to remove the bacterial colonies living in your gum pockets around the teeth, and root canal treatment to heal the entire tooth, including all three layers of the tooth, or extraction of an unsalvageable tooth. More importantly, if needed, your dentist will always prescribe antibiotics.

What do antibiotics do against dental infections?

Antibiotics are medications that control or kill harmful bacteria in your body. Although antibiotics aren’t the first-line treatment for dental infections, they play a major role in treating them. After a dental procedure, dentists prescribe some antibiotics to prevent possible post-operative infection.

Let’s dive into the details about the most used antibiotics in dentistry!

  1. Amoxicillin

It’s a penicillin antibiotic and usually the first drug of choice to treat an infection. The recommended dosage is 500 mg of Amoxicillin every eight hours. When Amoxicillin is combined with Clavulanic acid, which can be sold under the brand name Augmentin, it tackles an even broader spectrum of bacteria.

Most dentists recommend taking 625mg of Augmentin every eight hours to treat dental infections.

  1. Clindamycin

Clindamycin is used

  • when dentists find the patient allergic to penicillin or amoxicillin and
  • when the infection is resistant to penicillin-class antibiotics.

The minimum effective dosage of Clindamycin is 300 mg or 600 mg every eight hours.

  1. Metronidazole

Metronidazole is neither a first-line antibiotic therapy nor often prescribed alone. When the dentist wants to treat different kinds of bacteria at once, he or she will prescribe Metronidazole combined with a penicillin-class drug, most probably Amoxicillin. 500-750 mg every eight hours will provide sufficient action of Metronidazole.

  1. Erythromycin

Erythromycin is one of the most commonly used alternative antibiotics for patients with penicillin allergy. The recommended dosage is 300mg every eight hours or 500mg every 12 hours.

Generally, it takes three to five days, or sometimes a week, for a dental infection to go away completely. Always take antibiotics for the full recommended period, even if you start to feel better in the middle of the regimen. Taking them for less than the recommended time can cause the bacteria to grow back, and unnecessary overuse of antibiotics can cause antibiotic resistance.

What are the side effects of antibiotics?

Besides being helpful, antibiotics can also cause side effects.

It’s always your utmost responsibility to inform your doctor beforehand if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking drugs for asthma, or an alcohol user, since antibiotics can cause serious effects in these situations.

  • Nausea, rash, and diarrhea are common side effects of antibiotics.

If you are taking an antibiotic for the first time, you must be extra careful because it can lead to life-threatening conditions like serious allergies. However, if you have a known allergy to a specific drug, you must always inform your dentist beforehand.

What is the best antibiotic for dental infections?

There is no best antibiotic. Different antibiotics work on different organisms through different mechanisms. Depending on your specific infection, your dentist will choose the best antibiotic. However, dentists often choose Amoxicillin over other options.

Will antibiotics be sufficient?

Antibiotics alone will not be enough to treat any dental infection. You must follow good dental hygiene practices to prevent new diseases and stop the progression of current ones.

  • No matter how difficult it is, regular brushing and flossing at least twice a day after your main meals are essential to remove harmful bacteria from your mouth.
  • Applying gentle cold compression if you have swelling in your mouth will reduce inflammation and pain.
  • Rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater will help to reduce the inflammation.
  • You can try over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve the pain.
  • Clove oil is one of the best natural home remedies for reducing pain.
  • Even after the infection clears, seeing your dentist regularly to assess your dental health is important.

What happens if a dental infection is left untreated?

Starting in the tooth or gums, harmful bacteria gradually eat away at the tooth and spread into deeper surrounding structures. Then they can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing septicemia. They can accumulate in distant vital organs afterwards and cause serious life-threatening conditions like infective endocarditis. Therefore, it’s better to consult your dentist whenever you feel an ongoing dental infection, from simple tooth decay to a dental abscess formation, before it’s too late.

That’s why, following a dental procedure like extraction or root canal treatment, most dentists prescribe antibiotics to prevent harmful bacteria from entering the blood circulation and disseminating through your vital systems.

What do we know so far?

Not every dental infection needs antibiotic coverage. Always tell the dental team beforehand if you have known antibiotic allergies. Once you have several treatment options, you can choose the best option for you after discussing the pros and cons of each with your dentist. Contact us at 519-893-9494 anytime with any questions or to book an appointment.

DISCLAIMER: The advice offered is intended to be informational only and generic in nature. It is in no way offering a definitive diagnosis or specific treatment recommendations for your particular situation. Any advice offered is no substitute for proper evaluation and care by a qualified dentist.