I let a toothache become an abscess yeah stupid but I just started back to work a month ago or so. So I didn’t want to miss anymore time ya know.
So anyway my question after hitting the dentist who in turn sent me to my doctor (for an IV drip of antibiotics, yes he said I let it go way to long) and fulfilling my scripts how long will it take for my face to shrink? I got a 10 day supply plus 4 pills to take right before hitting the dentist, is it going to take that long for this horrendous pressure to go away?
ETA: Oh yeah side question, why didn’t the dentist just drill a hole to the pressure right then and there?
Your swelling should go down in 2-3 days, but don’t you dare stop taking the antibiotics until they are done. I can’t believe he didn’t presribe two days worth of painkillers.
Drilling a hole would have just help spread the infection from where it was contained and would have exposed your screaming nerve to direct contact with hot and cold liquids. Something I’m sure that you would not have enjoyed.
Your dentist could have done a root canal right away, but the infection counters the anesthesia, meaning it doesn’t work, meaning you’d be in for a world of pain.
Until the abscess shows a whitehead like appearance (like a pimple), the infection and inflammation isn’t entirely localized, but rather spread throughout the tissue. Lancing the tissue would only make you bleed.
The swelling will likely come and go until the antibiotics kill everything. The abscess isn’t a completely closed system; there’s filtration in and out all the time. So, the swell may go down, but then come back again as long as there’s still activity there.
what **balthisar ** said. the only way you could have had a root canal right then and there is under total anesthetic. never let a dentist or oral surgeon talk you into a procedure if there is existing infection. not because they can’t do it, but because the resulting pain would likely drive you right out of your skull. i speak with direct experience on that one and because of that, i now have a dental phobia i cannot overcome. total knockout, or the work can’t be done because i can’t control the fight or flight syndrome.
I completely understand, but DON’T poke at it! Leave it for the professionals.
If it DOES pop on its own I suggest rinsing your mouth with a LOT of water, over and over, and calling the doc or dentist.
Likely, if/when it does let go it will smell and taste incredibly, vomit-inducing foul. Medical types have this thing called “suction” that will help minimize the amount of that gunk you have to taste or wind up swallowing.
The only thing that will make the pressure-ache go away is the draining of the pus, either by natural course of events or by a medical type puncturing the damn thing.
That formation of a “boil” is actually (I think) a good sign that the infection is being contained to a small area.
From my limited experience decades ago, it’s possible for a medical professional to “lance” the pus-filled area. You do not want to do that yourself, as others have said, unless you are really intent upon the risk of making things worse.
I was advised in the same situation to rinse frequently with a salt-water solution.
Just to scare you a little more, so that you will take better care of yourself in the future, it’s been suggested that dental infections can lead to heart valve infections.
Salt water rinse it is er she called it warm intraoral rinse, never heard of such a thing. But it popped I called my dentist and that was the recommendation.
Gross tasting like I would imagine shit would taste like, but relief is here!
They need little quicky stop dentistry places just for minor things like this, now with it drained and my antibiotics clearing it up I can look forward to the real fun drill sounds
Thanks for all the help, I honestly thought antibiotics would clear it all up itself without this in my mouth. Lesson learned for me though, toothache=dentist right away.
Well, the form boil-pop-drain thing is part of your body’s way of dealing with such infections, the antibiotics DO help, and they certainly help keep the infection local as opposed to going all over your body (you do NOT want that!!!) So, really, your body is fighting back.
If it popped, drained, and you get drilled in a couple days that should take care of the problem, but if after the root canal (or whatever) you start feeling pain again DO NOT DELAY in seeking help.
My advice? HAVE IT MONITORED. Even treated with antibiotics, a lapsed abcess can become a cyst, even with a root canal. Have the tooth monitored with occasional x-rays for awhile.