Posted by Jen on December 20, 2000 at 15:06:24:

In Reply to: Abcess posted by Renee on December 20, 2000 at 14:39:13:

The abcess will indeed reoccur at some point unless the root canal is completed.
The source of infection must be eliminated either by removing the infected pulp or extracting the tooth. Trying to save the tooth is of course the best option.
Your body's immune system does a great job on keeping the infection 'walled off' for a period of time, like it has done for the previous months. At some point, the amount of infection becomes to great for the body to handle and the infection blows up. Once you are given antibiotics, the infection will be resolved on the outside of the tooth, not the inside of the tooth. That source of infection can only be removed by a root canal or extraction.
Best of luck to you.