Abscessed tooth - been on penicillin vk 500 mg for 2 days now. when can i expect to see the "harder" areas of swelling start to go down on outer jaw?

? Resistant bacteria: You will need to check with your dentist if the swelling does not go down as there are a number of bacteria that are developing a resistance to common antibiotics. You may need to have the root canal started asap and treat it that way. Also there is an article coming out in circulation that shows the bacteria associated with abscessed teeth may adversely affect your heart health. Get treatment.

May need a different: After 3 days if swelling is not reducing in size, you may need a different antibiotic. It is possible the penicillin is not killing the bacteria. I also advise a root canal as a solution.

Pen VK: Typically antibiotics require 48-72hrs to become fully effective. If no changes occur after that period of time, call your dentist/endodontist, who will prescribe a different antibiotic. A root canal is needed regardless, as the cause of the abscess is coming from within the tooth, and the only way to treat it is via a root canal, or extraction.

Soon, hopefully: I would love to tell you about the efficacy of the penicillin, but honestly, each situation is different. Depending on the level of infection and swelling that you were experiencing prior to starting your meds, the medicine may take longer than expected. And sometimes, the pain will get worse before it gets better. But, be sure to take your full prescription, as directed, for your best chances.

See dentist again: You need to both notify your dentist & have your dentist see you as soon as possible to have the area re-evaluated. Your dentist may increase the dosage or frequency of the penicillin, or more likely switch you to another antibiotic. Antibiotics alone will not address the cause of the infection. Therefore, depending upon the cause, you might need to have the infection drained or modify treatment.

More than 2 days: With an abscessed tooth, the treatment options are extraction or root canal therapy. Either way, antibiotics are indicated prior to treatment. While pen vk is an excellent first choice for a dental abscess, it may require more or different antibiotics. As for the time frame, a "harder" area of swelling takes longer to reduce as it is not simply excess fluid but now more tissue integrated.

Weeks or More: The soft tissue swelling along with some discomfort will usually subside in 3-4 days with penvk or other pencillinase antibiotics. I have seen harder nodules take up to 1 year to resolve even after extraction or especially root canal treatment though there is no pain present. In general, the firmer the abscess, the longer it will take to resolve.

Depends: It depends whether the apical lesion is a granuloma, cyst, acute w purulence, etc. It also depends how much drainage is obtained through the tooth, and/ or if an i and d has prolific drainage. Overall, I have seen very few cases where the swelling is not resolved in 2 wks.