Why won’t antibiotics solve my root canal problem?
Antibiotics help your immune system to fight pathological (disease causing) microorganisms. Once a pulp is diseased, injured, inflamed or dead, the blood flow into the pulp is compromised or non-existent if the pulp. This creates an ideal environment for the microorganisms to live inside of the tooth. Since blood flow is limited or non-existent, antibiotics are not carried into the pulp to affect the microorganisms. Therefore, they flourish in the pulp chamber inside the tooth no matter how much antibiotics you take. The antibiotic is effective in the supporting tissues around the tooth such as the gingiva (gums), mucosa, jaw bone and periodontal ligament. But the disease or dead pulp provides a constant source of microorganisms to re-infect the tissues. Once the root canal is done and the home for the microorganisms is eliminated, healing will follow and antibiotics will be effective in assisting the surrounding tissues to heal. It should be noted that the latter tissues can heal on their own without the help of the antibiotics once the root canal is completed.

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