Gum abcess after extraction
 

I had an abcess on my gum twice in the last 3 months. The tooth had 2 root canals done and finally was extracted. Before the extraction, I had been on Amoxycillan 750mg for 6 days. When the extraction was done the dentist said if was still very infected under the tooth. It was almost as if I had not been on any antibiotics. He scraped the area and did not stitch it so the infection could drain. After 3 days my cheek and gum started swelling again but I was not having pain. I went back to the dentist and he started me on penicillan 500 mg 4 times a day for 7 days. I have completed 4 days of this and the swelling seems to have gone down quite a bit, but I can still feel some throbbing occasionally in the empty cavity. The cavity seems to be healing. Can there be something else going on? Or if this does not do the trick, what might be the next course of treatment?

Hi murlynw,

Obviously you have a very bad bone infection and it will take time to heal. It is normal to have pain and even some swelling for a few weeks since the last debridement by the dentist. If the area becomes very painful or you feel the infection is spreading or you develop a fever or other signs of being unwell, then do not hesitate to see the oral surgeon. There is no guarantee that the antibiotic will cure this infection or that the bone will heal completely. It is best to have this area of your mouth monitored with an xray every three months to see the changes in the bone. It is also wise to take very good care of yourself during this time as your immune system is being taxed with this infection. To help do that you should be eating a nutritious soft food diet, avoid sugar, soda, junk food... stick with veggies, fruit, and lean protein. Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day to help eliminate the toxins from the infection and to keep yourself hydrated.

Only rinse with warm salt water.... avoid mouthwash as this will cause further irritation and will slow down the healing process.

If the infection does not clear up, then the surgeon would need to go back in and scrape the area again. Sometimes the person is on long term antibiotics either oral or via intravenous.

Infections from root canaled teeth can become a serious bone infection. Please take good care of yourself.

I hope this information was helpful to you. Hope all goes well.

Bryanna

Thank you very much for your expertise!! Hopefully this will clear up soon!