Should an antibiotic taken 4 days for a sore tooth be taking the pain away already?

Antibiotics are usually prescribed for infection prevention. They are not for pain relief.

Rinse your mouth out with hydrogen peroxide a few times for 30–60 seconds and take 2 Aleve (I highly recommend the PM liquid gels).

If you mean you have finished four days and are starting your fifth, yes you should be starting to feel better. If it’s still very painful you might need a different antibiotic. How painful is it? Are you having trouble opening your mouth or eating? Is the pain actually getting worse?

Tooth pain sometimes does linger after the infection is gone, especially if the pain is actually from a sinus infection, and not the tooth, which is not your case. Still, lingering pain should be significantly less than when you have the actual infection. Antibiotics absolutely reduce pain, I disagree with the first answer. Pain is an indication of the infection.

If it isn’t feeling better mid day 5 I would call your dentist, I’m assuming someone is covering for him. Tooth infections can be very serious, especially an infection in the upper teeth. It’s in your head, near your brain, I know that’s stating the obvious.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth! Be glad you aren’t suffering any more pain than you have to. And be sure to take ALL of the antibiotics as prescribed!!!

^^What does that mean? If he isn’t getting better it has to be addressed.

This isn’t the first 48 hours when you wouldn’t feel the effects of the antibiotic yet. It sounds like the OP is on day 5 of medication.

While the pills may be fighting an infection, your gums might still need help with inflammation. Motrin might help with that. I’m not a dentist or doctor though. Where did you get the antibiotics? Are you even sure you need them? Gums could be inflamed due to food or tartar but not infected.