What is the treatment for abscess in a cracked tooth?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had a cracked tooth that developed an abscess under it. It took two weeks to wait for the endodontist appointment, so I started taking an antibiotic when the abscess started to grow. Finally had my appointment today, and the endodontist is keeping me on the antibiotic for one more week and injected something into the abscess but did not lance it.

Now it is huge, and the pressure is terrible and causing a lot of pain. I am unsure what to do and if it will now drain on its own. Is this normal, because I can only find information about lancing abscesses, not injecting them with medicine? Currently I am taking Clindamycin.

Please advise.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Antibiotics for the abscess are not always the first choice to do, actually. Moreover, you had mentioned that it is a cracked tooth. I wonder how deep the crack is so that it fits the criteria for root canal treatment. With all these kept in mind, I guess your endodontist has opened up the tooth, which is the first step of root canal treatment, and packed the canals with medicated paste, which will help to heal the abscess.

Not all dental abscesses are meant to be lanced off as you think. The endodontic treatment itself is an intraoral approach to reducing the infection of the tooth. Since the tooth pulp chamber is opened up, the pus from the abscess would drain through it. As far as you are not in pain, it is definitely safe to do.

I hope this helps.