Can a tooth be removed if there is infection?

In the vast majority of cases, the answer to this question is yes. A false widespread belief exists within U.S. society that an infected tooth should not be removed without first taking a prescription for antibiotics to kill off the infection, then waiting a week to have the tooth removed.  While antibiotics may reduce the severity of the infection temporarily, the tooth infection will never be 100% eradicated until the tooth is removed, or in some circumstances a root canal is performed on the tooth to remove all biological material.  This belief about the necessity of taking antibiotics before extractions exists because for a brief period of time prescribing antibiotics and waiting a week to take a tooth out was a somewhat common practice in the medical and dental profession.

A tooth typically becomes infected in one of several ways. A tooth infection can be caused by bacterial invasion of the nerve of the tooth (the dental pulp) allowed by bacterial infiltration through a deep cavity (dental caries) or crack.  The tooth pulp then begins to die as a result of the bacteria and the body’s immune response.   As the nerve dies, it creates inflammation resulting in pain and swelling.

While there is a chance removing a tooth where there is a large amount of infection present could cause the infection to spread, this is unlikely.  Often if the infection is severe the patient may need more than oral antibiotics.  Severe infections may require incision and drainage, intravenous antibiotics, or even hospitalization.  Thus the problem is that by not removing an infected tooth and only prescribing oral antibiotics, the infection may get worse and lead to serious medical consequences.

At one time medical professionals believed antibiotics were magic and should be used in every possible situation.  For example, in the past dentists required patients to take antibiotics before any dental procedure if they had certain health problems such as an artificial joint or a heart defect.  What was discovered was that the antibiotics caused more problems than they provided benefits.  In rare cases, people can develop spontaneous allergies to antibiotics even if they were never allergic to the antibiotic before.  Practitioners also have learned that the over-prescribing of antibiotics leads to bacteria developing antibiotic resistance to the medication.  Bacterial resistance to antibiotics makes the medication less effective in other patients with more severe infections.

Most infected teeth can now be removed without completing a weeklong course of antibiotics first.  Although after an infected tooth is removed, your dentist make prescribe antibiotics for you to take following the extraction, to minimize the risk of a post-operative infection.

At South Kansas City Emergency Dental we are almost always capable of removing an infected tooth safely on your first visit.

South Kansas City Emergency Dental is your affordable emergency dentist, with convenient hours on Saturday and Sunday to help those in pain. Please call our office at 816-601-1817, or contact us via our website for an appointment.