Which Antibiotic Is Best For Gum/sinus Infection?

Updated

I'm having problems with painful gums and sinus swelling, pressure and pain. Probable TMJ. Before I try to see a dentist (I have no dental ins), which antibiotic should I ask my doctor to prescribe to clear up the infection? I know she will know, but I like to know before I ask. Thank you for any advice.

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1

Hello, Mimi! How are you?

TMJ is not due to an infection and antibiotics will not treat it. TMJ is due to a problem in the jaw joint that causes pain and inflammation and it needs to be treated totally differently to reduce the inflammation and prevent the problem from recurring and worsening.

Thus, you need to consult your dentist for proper treatment, if it is TMJ.

An antibiotic will only treat a bacterial infection and there isn't any particular one that would be better than another, it depends on if you have an actual infection and how serious the infection has set in. The FDA lists the typical side effects of antibiotics as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, non-allergic skin rash and diarrhea.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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2

Thank you, Sweet One, for the advice. Would you mind giving me the symptoms for TMJ, if possible? My right nostril is almost impossible to breath through, having trouble with hearing in right ear, throat slightly sore, right jaw joint pops and cracks, and the sides and back of my neck is constantly painful as well as crunching when I try to turn my neck. Of course at age I have no dental insurance. Any ideas?

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3

Yes, those can all be symptoms of it, especially the jaw noises.

I have it myself, but it's greatly improved, since I got dentures a couple years ago, so it rarely causes me a problem, anymore.

You could try talking to your doctor about something to help with the pain and sinus pressure.

And it is highly possible that if you're very congested, an infection may have developed from that.

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4

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me try to figure this out. Is it true that if this is left untreated it can spread infection/problems throughout the entire body? I was told this by a well meaning friend

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5

No, as I said, TMJ itself is not an infection. It is stress and possible erosion of the jaw joint, so it will not spread.

If it's left untreated too long and gets worse, it can make it very hard to talk and eat, because your jaw joint can become inflamed and erode to the point where it's hard to move it.

But otherwise, it is limited to the jaw area.

Now, if you have some type of infection, that can spread and cause major health issues, but infections are unrelated to TMJ.

Anything else I can help with?

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