Expert: Lawrence Spindel DDS, www.lspindeldds.com - 7/2/2009

Question
Hi Dr. Spindel,

  I had a root canal and it still hurt. My dentist said I have swollen gums and such, so it's making my tooth ache. I was already prescribed 2 courses of amoxicillin. So now he wants to prescribe this drug called Augmentin. If I took 2 courses of amoxcillin and that did not get rid of the pain, then would augmentin be stronger? Is it better at killing off pain and infection? thank you!

Answer
Dear Jon,

Sometimes when treating an infection with antibiotics and the infection is not clearing up, a dentist will choose to switch antibiotics .  Different antibiotic can be effective fighting different types of bacteria.

I am not sure what sort of swelling your dentist is treating you for. Is it an infection of periodontal or endodontic origin. It make a difference. If you had a root canal and it was completed and the infection did not resolve, it is a bad sign.  If on the other hand he is treating you for a periodontal abscess he may have the right idea.  I treat periodontal abscesses with doxycycline, and antibiotic which works well with these sort of gum problems.


If you are being treated for an infection of endodontic origin, and it hasn't cleared up in 2-4 weeks, then it is time for a second opinion. If that is the case, ask your dentist for a referral to a root canal specialist. If you are being treated for a periodontal abscess, than a consult with a periodontist is in order.

I hope this information is helpful and please feel free to contact me again with any dental questions.