Pain around dodgy tooth

[Paul]

I have three dodgy teeth in my mouth, all of which have been root-filled and, I understand, will eventually have to be extracted. I do have an penicillin prescription to use if any of the teeth flare up. The tooth giving trouble is now just a stub; the crown snapped off two years ago and the dentist filled the stub. The pain started just over three days ago and has not been getting any worse. I have been taking painkillers (3 ibuprofen and 6 paracetamol in total); the last was taken 15 hours ago. I have also been brushing around the tooth with Corsodyl dental gel. To my mind, taking an antibiotic is a last resort.

Normally, I'd wait a few more days to see if the problem clears up. However, I am going on holiday in 13 days and, if I leave it too late, I might not be able to get an appointment before I go away. My dentist didn't tell me what to do after taking the antibiotic. Should I make an appointment or just wait until my next check up?

The pain is not getting any worse, so I'm wondering as to whether to make an appointment today or giving it a few more days to see if it clears up.

 

[LADentalclinic]

The problem with dental infections are that you can go to sleep feeling fine and wake up the next morning with half of your face swollen, and then you'll be racing to the emergency room for IV antibiotics. That's a very miserable experience. It would be better if you make your appointment now to avoid any unexpected misery, especially with your upcoming vacation.

 

[Paul]

I did make an appointment and got seen the next day. The infection seemed to be clearing up but the dentist persuaded me to have the tooth removed. Hopefully I'll have recovered from the extraction by the time my holiday starts. I'm going to some remote islands where there are no emergency rooms so I think it was as well to have the tooth out. Thanks for your reply.