Any dentists out there who could help put my mind at ease?

[Bounty555]

I have an abscess above my front tooth. I managed to get seen yesterday (privately) and was told I’ve injured the tooth. The dentist asked if I’d hit it anywhere, and all I can recall is my daughter’s water bottle hitting it weeks ago. I have fragile teeth. The dentist took X-rays, prescribed antibiotics, and I’ve now booked a root canal with my own dentist (also private), as there are no NHS appointments available until April, which I can’t wait for.

The root canal will cost £400, and my appointment is next Thursday. I’m really worried about the infection spreading before then. Has anyone experienced this, or can a dentist please advise me? I believe I have enough antibiotics for seven days.

Anyone??

That time scale is fine especially if you’ve been prescribed antibiotics

@RobinHumphries thank you so much for your reply!

I was unlucky. I had an abscess on a front tooth which managed to spread to the other one, even though I had antibiotics. My dentist said this is relatively unusual. Both root treated teeth subsequently went a delightful shade of greige, so I had to have veneers.

Not a dentist.

The antibiotics need to clear up the infection before they can work on your tooth.

Otherwise the jag could potentially not work and you feel it all. Happened to me. Had to stop and go back another day.

I had an abscess before Christmas. It mostly cleared on its own while I waited over the weekend for my appointment.

This isn’t correct. Root canals can be opened and drained whilst an infection is present.

How can you open up a root canal when an abscess is blocking the action of the numbing injection so the patient can feel everything?

I know. It happened to me. So technically yea you can but what patient is going to sit and he drilled into a root without anaesthetic!

I had a root canal with no anaesthetic, dentist said it would be no more pain than the agony I was already in with the abscess. It hurt but they Drained it. Did the root canal. and then put me on antibiotics

In some situations an abscess can interfere with the numbing effect of a local anaesthetic. That doesn't mean that what you say is correct. Dentists frequently open up teeth with abscesses and drain the infection. In fact this is the recommended treatment.