Do Antibiotics Help Tooth Pain? What You Need to Know

Tell me if this has ever happened to you: You start experiencing pain in your tooth, so you make an appointment with your dentist. At the appointment, they prescribe you some antibiotics and then send you home to rest and recover. Within a few days, you feel SO much better—the pain is gone! 

Until it isn’t.

After a couple of months, the pain returns. The antibiotics didn’t work! Now you have to go back to the dentist yet again, and you feel more frustrated (and in pain) than ever.

If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation, you’re not alone. I see countless doctors prescribing antibiotics to help tooth pain, when in reality, that’s not what they’re for! Unfortunately, this has led to an epidemic of overprescribing antibiotics, which has resulted in antibiotic resistance and other issues. 

So let’s talk about what antibiotics are actually used for, why they should be prescribed with more caution, and how to take them responsibly when your body does need a little backup!

Do Antibiotics Help Tooth Pain? Not Exactly.

Let’s go back to our hypothetical scenario for a second. You go to the dentist complaining of pain, they prescribe you some antibiotics, and the pain goes away—at least for a while. Does that mean that antibiotics do help tooth pain?

Not really, but here’s where the confusion lies. When you go to the dentist with tooth pain, often that pain is caused by an infection in the tooth. The purpose of antibiotics, then, is to kill the bacteria that are causing the infection. The pain relief part is really just the result of that treatment! Make sense?

The problem is, there’s a reason that infection happened in the first place, and immediately treating it with antibiotics makes it difficult to determine the underlying cause. For example, bacteria could have entered your tooth, causing the nerve to die. That would mean that in order to truly get rid of the pain and infection, you’d need a root canal! 

Plus, not all tooth pain is caused by infection, so using antibiotics as pain relievers is NOT an effective strategy. What’s worse, the overprescribing of antibiotics for pain has caused antibiotic resistance in the general population, meaning that the next time you actually need antibiotics, they might not be as effective!

There are other downsides to taking antibiotics, too. In addition to killing all the bad bacteria inside your mouth and gut, they also kill the good bacteria, leading to all sorts of issues, such as developing allergies or colitis (swelling of the large intestine). 

Probiotics: The Key to Reducing Complications from Antibiotics 

So, do antibiotics help tooth pain? No—and they shouldn’t be prescribed that way! But that doesn’t mean you’ll never need them. When prescribed at the right time and for the right reasons—like when you’re especially swollen, have pus or exudate, or have developed a fever—they’re an effective tool for supporting endodontic treatment. 

However, given that there are real risks to taking antibiotics, it’s important to be cautious, not only with how often they’re prescribed, but also how they’re prescribed. That’s where probiotics come in handy!

Probiotics are used to help your body replenish the “good” bacteria that are wiped out by antibiotics. That’s why at my practice, we recommend patients take a probiotic alongside their antibiotic treatment. For example, when a patient has a more serious infection and we prescribe Clindamycin, we also ask that they pick up some saccharomyces boulardii.

Supplements aren’t the only way to ramp up your probiotic intake, though! There are also many foods that you can eat while taking antibiotics to help bring balance to the gut.

Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the best and most easily-accessible sources of probiotics, and it can help reduce the diarrhea that antibiotics sometimes cause in children. It comes from fermenting milk with friendly bacteria, mainly lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. However, not all yogurt is created equal! In some cases, processing kills the live bacteria, so make sure to choose yogurt with active or live cultures.

Kefir

Although yogurt is the most well-known probiotic food in Western diets, kefir is a superior source. Containing multiple major strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir is a fermented probiotic beverage made by adding kefir grains to cow’s or goat’s milk. These grains, resembling cauliflower in appearance, are cultures of lactic acid bacteria and yeast, not actual cereal grains. The name “kefir” is said to originate from the Turkish word “keyif,” meaning “feeling good” after eating—which makes sense, because kefir offers numerous health benefits! It can enhance bone health, aid in digestion, and provide protection against infections. 

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage that’s fermented with lactic acid bacteria. Besides its probiotic benefits, it’s high in fiber, packed with vitamins C, B, and K, and contains significant amounts of sodium, iron, and manganese. Just make sure you buy the unpasteurized variety, as pasteurization eliminates the live and active bacteria.

Tempeh

Tempeh is a fermented soybean product that’s formed into a firm patty with a flavor reminiscent of mushrooms. The fermentation process significantly enhances its nutritional profile by reducing phytic acid levels, which may increase mineral absorption. Additionally, the fermentation process introduces vitamin B12, a nutrient not naturally found in soybeans, making it a great probiotic option for vegans, who can’t get their B12 intake from animal products. 

Kimchi

Kimchi is a spicy, fermented Korean side dish, typically made with cabbage but sometimes incorporating other vegetables. It contains the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus kimchii, along with other beneficial lactic acid bacteria that support digestive health. Cabbage kimchi is rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and iron. But fair warning—it has a strong flavor! In fact some people say it has such a robust taste that “It’ll put hair on your chest.” 

Miso

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with salt and a fungus called koji. It’s a staple ingredient in miso soup, a popular breakfast food in Japan, and you can find it in lots of different varieties, such as white, yellow, red, and brown. In addition to offering probiotics, it’s a nutritious source of protein and fiber, and it’s rich in various vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, including vitamin K, manganese, and copper.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a popular fermented drink made from black or green tea and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. While there’s limited scientific evidence to support the claims made online about its wide variety of potential health benefits, the fact that it’s fermented means you can pretty safely assume it contains probiotics— just like the many other fermented foods I mention here! 

Pickles

Pickles, also known as gherkins, are cucumbers that have been preserved in a saltwater solution, where they undergo fermentation using their naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria, giving them their characteristic sour taste. In addition to being an excellent source of healthy probiotic bacteria, they’re low in calories (though high in sodium) and provide a good amount of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting. Just make sure the pickles aren’t made with vinegar, as they don’t contain live probiotics.

Traditional Buttermilk

“Buttermilk” refers to various fermented dairy drinks. In addition to being low in fat and calories, buttermilk is rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, riboflavin, calcium, and phosphorus. Buttermilk is primarily categorized into two types: traditional and cultured. Traditional buttermilk is the liquid that remains after churning butter. Often referred to as “Grandma’s probiotic, this type of buttermilk contains beneficial bacteria for your gut. On the other hand, cultured buttermilk, which is commonly found in American supermarkets, typically lacks probiotic benefits. So, if you’re looking for probiotics, you’re going to have to make that buttermilk the old fashioned way!

Some Types of Cheese

Although most types of cheese are fermented, not all contain probiotics. To make sure you’re getting the probiotic benefits, look for “live and active cultures” on the food labels. Some of the cheeses that preserve the beneficial bacteria during the aging process are Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, and cottage cheese. Cheese is also highly nutritious, providing an excellent source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium. That’s pretty good news, because who doesn’t love cheese?!?

So… Do Antibiotics Help Tooth Pain? No, But They’re a Useful Tool in Fighting Infection!

The bottom line is that while antibiotics shouldn’t be prescribed for tooth pain, they are an important tool that your dentist can use to aid your body in fighting infection. As a patient, you can help combat antibiotic resistance and support your body’s natural immune system by not demanding antibiotics when your dentist doesn’t prescribe them. Listen to the signs your body gives so you can get treatment quickly and effectively, and keep up with your regular dental visits. That way, if a problem should arise, we can catch it quickly!

Want to feel even more empowered in making decisions about your endodontic care? When you enroll in my online course, Tooth Wisdom: The Patient’s Guide to Endodontic Empowerment, you can learn to take control of your dental health and feel confident in getting the care you need through accessible patient-focused education.

Get the course here!

– Sonia