More often than not, people go to the dentist only when they feel pain. In fact, some only see a dentist when they’re already feeling extreme pain — the kind that can no longer be remedied by over-the-counter painkillers.
Some even beg their dentist to pull out their problematic tooth just to make the pain go away. When the dentist refuses, suggesting that the patient take antibiotics first, the patient will leave the clinic disappointed, thinking that the dentist didn’t help him or her.
Worse, after the prescription has run out and the pain has gone, the patient will not come back to proceed with the tooth extraction.
What’s wrong with this picture? The doctor prescribed antibiotics before deciding to extract the problematic tooth for a very good reason.
When you have a toothache, it typically means there is an infection underneath the tooth. This is known as impaction. When the dentist pulls out a tooth, it leaves a hole that goes all the way down to the jawbone.
With the tooth gone, the infection can easily spread to the bone and blood, which could cause you to get sick. You could even end up with a bad case of blood poisoning, which can be fatal.
For this reason, don’t get mad at your dentist just because they didn’t pull your aching tooth on your initial visit. They’re just preventing infection from spreading.
You should also return to the clinic after taking the antibiotics so your dentist can check if the tooth really needs to be pulled or if there’s another way that they can help you.