Can Antibiotics Help with Tooth Pain?

Antibiotics can combat dozens of types of infections and illnesses. These powerful medicines have saved lives since their introduction, but they do have limitations. Can they help ease tooth discomfort? Are antibiotics the best way to treat tooth pain? 

How Antibiotics Work

Bacteria that enter your body can grow and spread, leading to an infection. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics when you have an infection because they kill bacteria in your body. 

However, antibiotics are not pain relievers. They don’t directly impact discomfort levels in your body. Instead, they only ease infection-related discomfort by killing the bacteria that caused the problem. 

Antibiotics are very commonly prescribed to treat or prevent dental infections. However, a study showed that 80% of those antibiotics prescribed to patients with dental issues were not necessary and increased risks of side effects. 

These drugs work well when used properly, but they come with risks when not prescribed correctly. 

What Causes Tooth Pain 

Tooth discomfort can have many causes. However, for many patients, something impacts the nerve inside the tooth, resulting in discomfort. 

Often, the source of the discomfort is bacteria that enter the tooth through a crack from trauma or a hole from decay. These organisms grow and multiply in the presence of a warm, moist environment with sugar, which progresses to a cavity, possibly affecting the nerve of the tooth 

As the bacteria multiply, the body tries to fight back by sending white blood cells to the site. These cells and the extra fluid accompanying them cause swelling. In the limited space inside the tooth, swelling results in pressure on the nerve and discomfort. 

The discomfort may cause extra sensitivity to temperature extremes or sharp stabbing sensations when biting down. If you have dental discomfort, an endodontist can examine you to determine if endodontic treatment can help. 

Can Antibiotics Help with Tooth Pain? 

When used appropriately, some people report pain relief for tooth discomfort when taking antibiotics because the medicine kills the bacteria causing their discomfort. 

For dental infections, the American Dental Association (ADA) advises dental professionals against giving their patients antibiotics before or after procedures. Only in rare instances may dental professionals prescribe antibiotics. 

The American Academy of Endodontists (AAE) offers endodontists research-based evidence for when to use antibiotics. Generally, the advice mirrors that of the ADA to limit antibiotic use to patients with systemic infections or in cases of infection that persist after endodontic treatment. 

The Problems with Using Antibiotics for Tooth Pain 

While many infections happen in areas of the body with a steady blood supply, the same does not always happen with dental discomfort. In some cases of severe infections inside a tooth, the interior of the tooth dies, along with its blood supply. This means that antibiotic drugs traveling through the blood won’t reach the site of the infection. Additionally, for a patient with an abscess at the tooth’s root end, the pus associated with the infection can reduce the efficacy of the drugs unless an endodontist properly drains the area. 

Another major concern of using antibiotics indiscriminately is the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria don’t respond to medications as they should. Instead, the bacteria continue to thrive even after a patient takes a full course of antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the United States in 2019, 2.8 million infections with drug-resistant bacteria developed. Of those infected, 35,000 died. 

Finally, antibiotics come with risks for serious side effects, including Clostridium difficile infection, yeast infections, or allergic reactions. C. difficile infections can even be deadly, especially for those over 65. Each year, the United States sees 500,000 cases of this infection. Among people over 65 who get this infection at a healthcare facility, one in 11 die in a month. 

What Is the Best Way to Treat Tooth Pain? 

Endodontists specialize in treating tooth discomfort caused by issues with the pulp inside the tooth. Therefore, if you have tooth discomfort caused by decay, dental trauma, or a crack, an endodontist can help to treat it. 

To stop the swelling caused by bacterial infection, getting rid of the bacteria and associated pus will help the problem. Endodontists can use treatments such as root canal therapy or surgery to remove the bacteria from inside the tooth and stop the growth and spread of the bacteria. 

Endodontic treatments drain the infected area, which more quickly reduces the discomfort and pressure caused by the infection. Plus, you won’t have the risks of side effects of antibiotics. 

Can You Use Antibiotics Before or After Endodontic Treatment? 

Endodontists do not automatically prescribe antibiotics when you have tooth discomfort. Similarly, they do not often prescribe antibiotics before or after treatment, except in rare cases. Typically, patients who have other signs of spreading infection, such as fever, extreme swelling, malaise, or fatigue, may need a course of antibiotics. 

If your endodontist recommends taking antibiotics, always finish the entire course. Taking all the medicine, even if you have an endodontic treatment scheduled, is important in killing all the bacteria causing the infection. Taking the full antibiotic course also helps to reduce the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 

In most cases, endodontists don’t prescribe antibiotics after treatment. The root canal therapy or surgery should have adequately cleared the area and drained the infection. Therefore, after a couple of days, you’ll likely feel much less discomfort compared to how you felt before you went to the doctor. 

For a day or two after your endodontic procedure, you can take Tylenol and ibuprofen to ease any tooth discomfort that you have. These over-the-counter medications will work much better at reducing your discomfort than prescription antibiotics will. 

Visit Innovative Endodontics for an Evaluation and Care 

For assessment and treatment of tooth discomfort, call us at Innovative Endodontics. 

Our doctors will find the best treatment for your case and decide whether you need antibiotics for your tooth pain. Make your appointment now, or keep our number handy for when you need an endodontist in Charleston.