Abscessed Tooth Symptoms?

I'm on vacation 1000 miles away from home........a few days b4 we left, I lost a filling and went to my dentist: the tooth was cracked and in bad shape from an injury a few years back = he's been after me to have a crown put on it. So this visit he x-rayed and says it is abscessed and I must have a root canal & crown......its too near sinuses to ignore any longer. Told him I felt fine, no pain, no symptoms so I would take care of way I get home in 3 weeks.

UhOh......maybe the flight provoked it, but I feel like dirt: still no pain, but "whoozie", headache, maybe a little feverish and just off. 1) are those symptoms of an abscessed tooth? 2) is there anything over-the-counter I can take to feel a little better until I get home? Thanks for any advice.

Navid s2010-07-25T09:21:22Z

Favorite Answer

Seems like you have tooth abcess
The only thing I can think of is penicillin. There is drug store everywhere in the world. Ask for a percription: Amoxicillin 500mg and Metornidazole 200mg. Take them in combination with each other.

Steven B2010-07-25T09:31:31Z

I can't rule out that your symptoms are caused by a dental abscess, but they are not typical. More typical would be pain to biting pressure, sensitivity to hot, swelling, drainage.
If you don't have these symptoms, the headache and feverish feeling could be almost anything--from sinus infection to allergies. I hesitate to recommend antibiotics, esp. metronidazole without more clear cut symptoms, esp. since metronidazole often causes stomach upset and diarrhea, and you already feel crappy.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend anything OTC to take, other than some NSAIDS for the headache and feverish feeling. But taking them for more than a few days puts you at risk for stomach problems too.
If you get more typical dental abscess symptoms, you may have to see a dentist on an emergency basis.

Good luck,
Steve Bornfeld, DDS