This disease is sometimes considered an infection requiring antibiotics, but it is usually a simple inflammatory response that an endodontic procedure eliminates. The dentist wants to help the patient and worries about controlling an infection that might spread. But the patient gets better in spite of the antibiotics, not because of them. Walton conducted one of the few clinical trials testing the effectiveness of antibiotics, given in conjunction with root canal treatment, in treating an existing infection. And even if there is infection in a tooth, the antibiotics do no good because they can't reach the site of the infection because there isn't any circulation inside a tooth with necrotic, or dead, pulp.
Antibiotics pose other risks to the patient.
They can cause side effects, interfere with other medications and even cause life-threatening reactions in people with allergies. They also are expensive. Antibiotics may be beneficial in some dental procedures, the experts admitted, but many dentists do not perform the appropriate assessments to make an accurate determination, said Harrison. They need to look for signs such as facial swelling, swollen glands, fever and difficulty in opening the mouth. Unfortunately, one of the most common drugs prescribed for pain in this country is antibiotics.