I have called my dentist, endodontist, and oral surgeon. The people answering the phones seem pretty clueless about antibiotics and act like it is OK to pull and abscessed or dead tooth without antibiotics.

You should ask to speak directly to the dentist or make the receptionist ask the dentist about calling in a prescription for antibiotics. You can also ask your primary to call in antibiotics for you. I had to do that for the first visit to the dentist since I was a new patient.

I have to take 4 500mg amoxicillin horse pills :eek: for any dental work or other surgery, one hour before the procedure.

You need anti biotics when you have an abcess as the infection could spread after the tooth has been extracted! Also if you have an infection and your having the tooth pulled under local anaesthetic, sometimes the infection stops the local working!

If you are healthy other than the bad tooth, there is no need for antibiotics, unless you are visibly swollen.