Expert: Jeff Dalin DDS - 9/10/2006

Question
I woke this morning (Saturday) with a severe toothache and a bit of jaw swelling.  As it is the weekend and we have moved to a new state (2 months)and do not yet have a dentist, I went to the local emergency room for antibiotics and pain management (to get by till I can see a dentist on Monday).  A short while after arriving back home, I began to experience numbness in my jaw extending from my lips, across the abcess site, almost to the back of my jaw, as well as increased swelling.  My question is, should I just give the antibiotics time to work, or, should I make a return trip to the emergency room for additional treatment before Monday?  I am taking Penicillin VK 500.  Should  I be concerned about this or is this a common reaction?  Thanks so much for your assistance.

Answer
donna
you need a definite diagnosis here. you merely went there and got some antibiotics and pain meds. do they have a dentist or oral surgeon on staff? if so, call there and ask to speak with them and see if they want you in there. do you have any friends or relatives in your new city? if so, call them and get the name of their dentist and get a call into them right away. why wait for things to get worse. maybe someone will meet you tomorrow for an xray and definitive diagnosis. the numbness may be from the swelling impinging on a nerve. as the swelling goes down, the numbness should go away. but i cannot give you any definite answers without seeing you in person. call someone right away. i would hate to tell you to hold off and have things get a lot worse. good luck. let me know if you have any more questions.

jeff dalin, dds