How soon should antibiotics start clearing up an abcess tooth/ pocket of inf on gum? should the pocket be getting smaller?

Tooth or gum abcess: Antibiotics will not eliminate a tooth abcess, but will just help decrease the pain and/or swelling. An abcessed tooth needs to be treated with a root canal procedure. An abcessed gum may heal with antibiotics in 7-10 days, but depending on the cause of the abcess may need to be treated with some minor surgery. See your dentist to make sure you are getting the appropriate treatment.

Depends on the cause: Some gum infections are limited to the gingival pocket and some also include infection into the end of the tooth and are endodontic problems as well as periodontal. The key to healing is related to the cause and its elimination.

Shortly: Typically 24-48 hours, with the appropriate dose. If the abscess does not improve within that time frame, follow up with your doctor/ dentist.

Varies based upon...: With proper selection and dosage, antibiotics usually start to make a difference in 12-24 hours. However, unlike some other infections in the body, without removing the cause of the infection, the problem will not be solved, only to return in time, often even worse. Therefore, you have to make sure you are under the care of a dentist who will address the problem in addition to the antibiotics.

24-48hrs: Oral antibiotics will not decrease the depth of a periodontal pocket. What they will do is decrease the acute phase of the abscess, meaning the puss buildup created by the lesion. But as dr. Sandler stated, you must get treatment to remove the cause of the problem.If it is a gum abscess, then curretting the area and/or periodontal surgery will be necessary.