"Can you cure an infected tooth with antibiotics?"

Q: I’ve been having a lot of tooth pain, and I suspect that my tooth is infected. If I take antibiotics, will that cure the tooth infection?

A: Unfortunately, if you have an infection in the pulp of your tooth, antibiotics can’t cure it. When the pulp of your tooth becomes infected it dies, leaving a hollow space in your tooth where bacteria can grow and drugs can’t reach them. Cases like that require a root canal, or sometimes extraction. Dentists will sometimes prescribe antibiotics for a patient having a root canal, but this is to eliminate bacteria that may be growing around the tooth, not in the pulp itself.

Bear in mind that unless you’ve been diagnosed by a dentist, you don’t really know if your pain is from an infected tooth. There are many possible reasons why a tooth hurts, some minor and some more serious. You should get your tooth evaluated by a professional soon.

Dr. Natalie Khadavi sees children and adults in Reseda in the San Fernando Valley and serves the greater Los Angeles area. Give us a call at 1(818)757-0017 for more information about how we can provide you and your family with healthy smiles that last a lifetime.