Hi webinfusion,

Thanks for checking in with us.

Sinus xrays specifically view the 4 different pairs of sinuses and can indicate the presence of a problem but they cannot determine the specific cause of the problem. These xrays may not show the upper arch of your mouth clearly enough to see if there is a retained tooth root tip, etc.

Why the antibiotic? Inflammation does not automatically mean infection. Sinuses can be inflamed for a number of non bacterial reasons especially when the inflammation is seen on both sides rather than just one. So the antibiotics should only be taken if there is a strong suspicion of an infection or a definitive infection has been diagnosed. If infection is present, then it needs to be determined what is causing the infection or the antibiotic will not cure the infection. If there are tooth remnants or root canal filling material still present in the tissue or bone, the infection will not go away.

Oral antibiotics take 24-48 hours to start to work on an infection. As far as a negative reaction to the antibiotics.... that could occur immediately, after a few days or even after a couple of weeks of taking them.

The worsening of the sinus pressure on the right side where you had the root canaled tooth removed is not a sign that the antibiotics are working. It is more indicative of a chronic problem caused by an irritant ... may or may not be infectious, could be environmental, allergies, etc.

A periapical dental xray of that upper right area might be helpful to see if there is tooth or bony fragments or other debris not removed during the tooth extraction. It has to be taken at an angle to capture the maxillary bone above where that tooth was taken from. So if you decide to have this done, just be sure to tell the technician that you need that specific area captured on the xray. Otherwise, she may take the xray straight on and not get that area in it.

Bryanna