Gum infection - 3 days of antibiotics?

[InterstellarOverdrive]

My dentist has just given me 3 days of antibiotics for a gum infection. Is this enough? The pharmacist said 3 days is rarely seen and now I'm worried. I said to the dentist 'do I definitely need antibiotics?' because I hate them so I'm hoping he's not given me a short course because of this... It's pointless if 3 days won't do anything after all.

He's given me amoxicillin btw.

I had 3 days of antibiotics for a UTI recently. I thought it was weird, but it worked !

I’m not sure but I was recently given 5 days of the same AB for a tooth infection. I thought at the time that 5 days wasn’t long because I’m sure I remember courses of ABs being between 7-10 days when I’ve taken them previously.

These did the trick with my tooth but didn’t have any affect until the last day! Can you phone the dentist tomorrow and check? I can’t imagine he would have prescribed a course that would be too short to work, even if he knew you weren’t thrilled about taking them.

Thanks. Yeah I think I will call and check because I've had these antibiotics before for a similar thing and I'm sure they were 5 days at least.

I’ve been prescribed 7 days of amoxicillin today following tooth extraction. The dentist was insistent that I take the full course. Is there a difference in the dosage perhaps which means you’re getting the same amount in 3 days that I’m getting in 7?
You can tell I’m not a pharmacist

I get gum infections every few years when my wisdom teeth decide to cut through. I’ve always had 5 days of metronidazole.

I'm worried as well because last time I had a gum infection (wisdom tooth related) neither amoxicillin nor metronidazole worked and I had to have it extracted urgently :/

@JosephineDeBeauharnais
mine is 500mg. What's yours? I think 500mg is the fairly standard amox dose.

Yes 500mg so that’s that theory blown

I had a 7 day strip from the dentist of 500 my amoxycillin. He advised to take half the strip and if the infection returned to finish the tablets. Since I had to wait over two weeks to be treated I had to clear them up so yes depends if he needs to do extraction or root canal. I had both done so perhaps my case was different. I have to say the antibiotics do not agree with my system I got very nauseous headaches appetite loss you name it. Tired. Am now seeing a reflexolog er now the dental work is done to put me back to normal. I hate taking tablets as often react to them but hope you are more lucky. The dentist found it unusual which I know I am.

Yeah I react badly to antibiotics as well. I've only had 2 doses of amoxicillin so far and I already feel rubbish. Bad stomach and diarrhoea. I'm wondering if I should switch to metronidazole instead but that's harsh too.

I react to many tablets e.g. Diarrhoea thrush tablets to name but a few. Even conventional hayfever ones but the antibiotics definitely were horrific! Try to eat a little live yoghurt daily for a while too which is something I only thought to do this week!