Im getting a tooth pulled because its infected. Its not being pulled until a week after the antibiotics I was given run out. Is that normal? Does it matter if the infection has come back before the tooth has been extracted?

The antibiotics should do a good enough job to keep the infection in check even though you are waiting an add'l week for the tooth to be pulled after the meds are stopped or finished. You may want to rinse peridically during the day or before retiring at night with some warm water mixed with salt - it will irrigate the area and draw out any remaining infection or pus, if any. Some dentists (at least in the US) will give you add'l antibiotics immediately before the tooth is pulled to killl any lingering infection in the extraction site. So you may want to check with him to see if he intends to this as well.

I have an infection at the base of a front tooth & small abcess has emerged
on the gum in front of it. Had rootcanal that turned out ok otherwise. He gave me penicillin twice (a week each) & now I'm on two stronger antibiotics.
Took them for 5 days & can't see any change, how long does it take that stuff
to work? He mumbled about seeing a dental surgeon next to clean out the
infection if this doesn't work. Has anyone had experience with this? What am
I in for. I sure need some encouragement & enlightenment on this. Thanks to
anyone who will help me out.
"sturgeon"

When the Endo referred me to the surgeon he wrote 'apic' on his memo so guess you're right. I'd be thankful if you can say why you're uncertain about recommending that. I've heard some redo the rootcanal first - might he want to do that ? It seems to be OK except there's infection around the root. After two weeks of penicillin & another week of ampicillin plus another antibiotic together I now end up with not only a surgeon appt but yesterday I came down with delayed artibiotic allergic reaction. I got up feeling horrid & soon felt worse - fever, muscle aches, malaise. I thot it was flu but a DR friend told me what it was & I found many articles about in thru ******. And today I started getting small red bumps all over. Good idea to quiz the docs when they Rx something so you know what you might expect.
I'd like to hear a little more about your apcic experience & views on it. I never heard of that before yesterday & that would be very helpful. Thank you.

sturgeon

Hi sturgeon whenever I have had an infected tooth and had work done ( pulled, root canal or just filling) I have generally taken penicillin before and after the work. this method has totally taken care of the infection. Sometimes if a tooth is open too long it will become infected and if all is not gone at the time of the work being done it can aggravate it. If in doubt I would ask the Dr. for another prescription for penicillin. I had to take it for over 6 weeks once because the infection had spread to my jaw. Best of luck.
ICC

Icc and Robyn, thank you both for your helpful replies. Boy have I got a story
to tell. As I said, I had penicillin for 2weeks then Ampicillin + Medronazole for a
week. This past Mon after seeing the Endo started feeling terrible, like the flu.
I had a fever 101.5, ached all over, just wiped out. Yesterday I got little red
bumps. Turned out it's delayed allergic reaction to penicillin & related drugs.
I'm still not feeling OK but the little white spot in front of that tooth is going
away. Maybe I won't need that surgery after all (??) You mentioned that other drug, Cam...something? I was supposed to take that but after I read
about colonitis I asked for a different one. Guess I'm glad I did, you had the
experience I feared most! BTW, that front tooth (#25) actually had 2 canals.
The "white spot" was there before the canal job, they say it indicates the
infection at the root but I can't figure out how it got there. I don't know what people take if they're allergic to penicillin & I can't take sulfa either. I'm
going to Europe in May & want his all over before then. Is a second canal job
before the apic better? I sure appreciate your help. Thanks.