Should I go Back to Dentist If Tooth Feels Better?
I had a toothache and went to see a dentist. I don’t have a regular dentist and find them a bit disconcerting. But, the tooth was bothering me enough that I needed to go in. I found a dentist who could get me in that day. He looked at the tooth, including the x-ray, and didn’t see anything wrong with it. He did give me a prescription of antibiotics and said, if I feel better then I don’t need to worry about anything. I did feel better after just a couple of days. I’m not eager to go to a dentist, but I’m completely baffled as to why it was hurting so much. Should I just have him look at it again?
Rob
Dear Rob,
I haven’t examined you. While it is possible that everything was fine, I have some concerns about the diagnostic skills of your dentist. Let’s assume you did have a tooth infection. When he gives you the antibiotic, then your tooth is going to feel better because the antibiotics are going to calm down the infection. But, that does not mean that you are fine and don’t need to worry about anything.
The only way to get rid of a tooth infection is to physically remove the infected pulp. That requires either a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction. Without one of those, your infection is going to return at some point after your antibiotics have run out. He either completely ignored that, which means he is uncaring and neglectful, or he doesn’t understand how tooth infections work, which means he’s not competent at his job. Either way, you’ll want a better dentist.
You’d mentioned that you haven’t been to a dentist before this for some time, so it would not hurt to have a check up just to make sure everything is okay. I know you’re probably thinking it will hurt and that is why you avoid the dentist. However, I have a solution for that. I suggest that you look for a sedation dentist. They can provide you with a medication that will completely relax you. In fact, you could even sleep through the appointment if you wanted to. People who’ve had dental anxiety for years have found that it changed their life.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Naples, Dr. Andrea Cameron.