Antibiotics not needed for most toothaches: Americal Dental Association

In most cases, adults don’t need to take antibiotics for a toothache, according to new guidelines from the American Dental Association (ADA).
 

Even though patients with toothaches are often prescribed antibiotics to help ease symptoms and prevent worsening of the problem, healthy adults should generally have dental treatment instead of antibiotics, according to the ADA guidance published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
 

“Antibiotics should not be used until an infection progresses enough that it can no longer be treated with only dental treatment like a nonsurgical root canal,” said Peter Lockhart, chair of the ADA expert panel