Dentist and gum disease question: I had scaling and root planing yesterday and I feel very unwell today - bacteremia?

[Rootplaning]

I didn’t actually know I was going in for this treatment, the dentist said I just needed “a proper clean up” in a few areas, but I was surprised to discover that actually I got some scaling and root planing on a few teeth. It was pretty unpleasant.

He said he was going to prescribe some antibiotics for afterwards, but he wrote it on a sheet of paper and sent me away. Presumably to go to the pharmacy and get them? I wasn’t really told anything else.

Anyway, I felt fine last night, but the pharmacy was closed on my way home so I decided I’d get them in the morning. Fast forward to a busy day at work, I didn’t have time. But I’ve had to come home now as I feel very very unwell. I have a slight fever, feel a little nauseous, a terrible headache that wont shift with painkillers, and am exhausted.

I’ve sent DH out to get the antibiotics (fingers crossed he can based on the prescription written on a random piece of paper!), but after a Google I’m a bit scared I have an infection caused by the scaling and root planing.

Was I an idiot not to sort the antibiotics yesterday? The dentist was so casual about my needing them, literally just gave me some paper. Didn’t tell me anything about why or how to take etc.

Are those antibiotics enough or have I done myself harm now in waiting? (It’s been 24 hours).

The treatment cost me an absolute and utter fortune as well!

But now I’m panicking.

(Oh and it’s definitely not covid because before I googled my symptoms, I took a covid test!)

Could still be covid tbh especially if your test was an LFT not a PCR.

If the antibiotics help, you’ll know!

It could be covid, but I’m double vax’d, have had the booster, AND have had covid before - and quite recently too. I also have taken a lateral flow test every day this week for work (plus an extra this late afternoon as I started to feel terrible). It could be, but I’m sort of assuming it isn’t.

If it’s an infection, will the antibiotics be enough? How soon should I start feeling better if it is an infection? I probably shouldn’t have googled as I’m freaking myself out that it’s sepsis!

Those are all symptoms of Covid especially in the vaccinated.
In theory you could get sepsis from deep cleaning as periodontal pockets are ulcerated and full of bacteria but you are more likely to have Covid/Viral infection.
Do have any swelling in your mouth that could be a dental infection? Antibiotics for a Dental infection are normally targeted at oral bacteria so Metronidazole or sometimes Amoxicillin they normally start working within 24 hours.

An update if anyone is reading this and has similar symptoms!

It was indeed an infection. I got a high fever and started uncontrollably shivering and sort of seizing the evening I took the first antibiotic. It was terrifying as that has never happened to me before. I spoke to a doctor who said it was an infection caused by my dental treatment “without a doubt”. I took Azrithromycin because I’m allergic to penicillin, which is what the dentist would have prescribed if it weren’t for my allergy, apparently.

So if anyone else is having a similar dental treatment done, don’t wait a day to take the antibiotics! Take them immediately. I wish the dentist had stressed this. It was a truly awful night and I still feel weak now a few days later.

Thank you for the update, I'm glad to hear the antibiotics are working and you are starting to feel better.

Post deep cleaning infections aren't common and antibiotics aren't prescribed post op very often. They obviously prescribed them as there was something they were concerned about with your treatment.

I worry that with visors/masks/respirators communication is a lot harder so messages about how/when to take antibiotics or to care post op can be harder to communicate.
The Dental guidelines have changed in the last couple of weeks but with Omicron a lot of Dental Teams are back in the respirators/FFP3s.