Dentist didn't give antibiotics

[TiredWitch]

Hi all,
I just joined this site.
And am kind of questioning why my dentist didn't give me a prescription for antibiotics after a tooth extraction I had wednesday.

I had a broken and abcessed tooth yanked (I use the word cause its easy) Wednesday, Doc numbed my gums then the roof of my mouth (OUCH, and it still hurts today, not bad, nothing I cant handle) popped abcess and used that sucking thingy to suck the gross that was coming out. Then started to pull my tooth. After he didn't prescribe any kind of antibiotics at all. Just a script of norco for 3 days.

Is this normal? Is this what all dentists do now?
Should I go see my Primary care doctor and possibly have her prescribe antibiotics?

Sorry for the longish post.
-Hannah xx

[JenniferM1989]

I've always been given a prescription for antibiotics after a tooth has been pulled out. There was one time I wasn't given and got dry socket which hurt like hell.. never again!

[PurpleFrames]

I've not had antibiotics after teeth out for braces but that was a good 10years ago now... hope you feel better soon op toothache sucks

[BlueCornsihPixie]

You don't need antibiotics.

The tooth is the source of infection and it has been removed. A dry socket is not an infection, dry socket and no antibiotics is just a coincidence.

Antibiotics have been overprescribed for years.

[Bluerussian]

You should have had antibiotics.

[Tableclothing]

www.cochrane.org/CD003811/ORAL_antibiotics-to-prevent-complications-following-tooth-extractions

Cochrane review says there's positives and negatives, overall comes down on side of no-antibiotics.

[RaspberryBubblegum]

They don't give antibiotics anymore because of the worry of superbugs. Some strains are already immune to the last resort antibiotics. Hope you manage without them! 💐

[Instagrump]

I'm glad your dentist isn't over prescribing antibiotics. You don't need them. The source of the infection has been removed.

[bonzo77]

I’m a dentist. I would have done just what your dentist did. You almost certainly did not need antibiotics. They would not have changed the outcome. The correct course of action is removal of the tooth. In an otherwise fairly healthy person, this will resolve the problem. Antibiotics are hugely over prescribed. Usually because patients demand them.

[TwistinMyMelon]

Please do not see your doctor. The dentist is able to prescribe antibiotics. I am a GP and I have no clue about dental infections as I am not a dentist. Please don't waste your doctors time with this. They will tell you no and quite rightly so.

[Besidesthepoint]

Why on earth should you have antibiotics? They are only necessary if your body can't get rid of the infection itself.

[itcoldoutside]

You don't need them ?

[stripeypillowcase]

with good wound care you don't need antibiotics.
if it doesn't get better see your dentist again, but it it very likely to heal and not need further treatment.

[GreenTulips]

I’ve only had them once as I was off on holiday for two weeks and dentist said he’d rather be safe than sorry. I didn’t need to take them.

[Pipandmum]

I had a tooth extracted and was not prescribed antibiotics. It never occurred to me as I didn't have an infection.

[TooleyVanDooley]

You can’t “have your GP prescribe antibiotics”, it’s not a retail service.

[Lweji]

I've recently extracted 4 wisdom teeth and only got antibiotics for one, which had been more complicated.

Your dentist is doing the right thing to prevent antibiotic resistance, if he didn't think here was risk of infection.

Antibiotics shouldn't be used like soap.

[katielilly]

I'm a dentist too and agree with your dentist provided the correct treatment. You did not require antibiotics in the scenario you describe.
No idea what norco is however.
This is not something UK dentists prescribe, can you elaborate?

[mumwon]

ahem there are some cases where you will always be given antibiotics even before treatment - if you have had heart valve replacement (our cardiologist has stated! )

[YerAWizardHarry]

@katielilly I'd assume narcotics, pain killers maybe?

[PixieDustt]

I'm a dental nurse and we don't prescribe any antibiotics unless a patient has had heart valve replacement etc.

You don't need them. It will hurt. But it will get better. Just take normal pain relief.

[katielilly]

@mumwon
Yes there are a very small subgroup of patients who need antibiotic cover for prophylaxis against Infective Endocarditis BUT the OP has not specified about having an unusual medical history in the post. Also, she/he isn’t referring to antibiotic cover, rather :-take away “just in case” antibiotics.
Antibiotics are only prescribed as an adjunct if there is facial swelling.
I don’t believe the OP is UK based; no UK dentist would issue a take home prescription for “narcotics” post extraction.
Ibuprofen alternated with paracetamol are the most effective in this situation.

[TeacupDrama]

I am a retired dentist we would not normally prescribe antibiotics after an extraction this has been the case for at least the past twenty years

There are a very small group of people that may require antibiotics for somethings in dentistry ( less than 1% of population)

to be honest advice for prophylaxis against infective endocarditis has also changed more recently ( last 5 years) and again they are rarely required even in patients with heart valve damage
Antibiotic resitance is a major problem they should only be prescribed when necessary

Dentally we would only prescribe antiobiotcs if the swelling was no longer localised, ie it has spread to lymph nodes in neck throat etc or sometimes for immuno-compromised patients in conjunction with their GP

for most people paracetamol or ibuprofen should be adequate to deal with post operative pain we do not prescribe opoids for dental pain ( they are not really much good for it anyway )

[nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut]

If they've removed the tooth and drained the abcess then you don't need them. The source of the infection is gone and it hasn't spread beyond the tooth so your immune system will deal with it from here. They did used to prescribe them just in case but with the antibiotic resistance crisis, they cant just hand them out like sweets any more.

[TiredWitch]

Thanks all. :)
I do live in The U.S. Kentucky to be exact. 😁
Horse country! ❤

I do know that there's antibiotics resistant viruses/bacteria out there cause of over prescribing them.
I don't plan to go to my doctor unless I absolutely need to.


He told me to swish and spit some Listerine twice a day for a week 24 hours later and that's what ive been doing.
The only thing that hurts now is the injection site on the roof of my mouth where he had to give 3-4 shots of numbing stuff (not sure what they use here).

They gave me norco for pain. Which i took the first day, cause as soon as the numbing wore off it hurt like hell.

Norco is a Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen pain killer. I think its a mild one though. Compared to Vicodin or percoset. Not too sure though.

[Nat6999]

Rinse your mouth with warm water with salt in it, this will help your mouth heal, keep your tongue out of the hole left behind, take paracetamol & ibuprofen for the pain. Keep your mouth as clean as you can, brush at least twice a day & rinse with salt water after every meal.