Extracting tooth when infected

Hi, I currently have a swollen cheek and severe pain because a tooth that had a root canal treatment grew infected. My dentist - who has always been excellent - has said to me that, if I want to have the tooth extracted, I will have to go through a course of Amoxicillin (I started yesterday) to get the swelling down. He advises strongly against extracting the tooth when the cheek is still swollen and the tooth still chronically infected. Yet other dentists on various internet sites seem to think it a GOOD idea to extract the tooth when the infection is still high, as then the fluid that has built up can be released. So, a quandary - who is right, here??

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

It depends.  Every doctor has to make a clinical judgement to each particular case.  I normally extract teeth when they're infected and swollen to a certain degree.  If its extensive, sometimes its hard to get full anesthesia and therefore it would be painful no matter how much anesthetic I use so sometimes I'll put them on antibiotics to calm the infection down a bit before extracting it.  There's always the worry that the antibiotic won't work and the infection will worsen.  So each method has its own pros and cons.  Hope that helps.