Got yet another HUGE abcess in my lower jaw. Honestly I look like Desperate Dan on the right side of my face. The abcess extends from my ear to the front centre of my face and from the mid point of my cheek to part way down my neck.

I go to the dentist regularly and there is no unresolved issues but this bugger has been coming and going since New Years Day! Been to the Dentist again today and prescribed another two courses of anti-biotics and had x-rays taken but there is nothing to be seen as yet. Another appointment next week to re-assess the situation.

Last year I got a similar episode on the other side of my mouth and finally I elected to have my tooth out which, eventually, resolved the issue. It seems to be I catch the tooth in my sleep with my top teeth, the pain wakes me up, and then the abcess flares up.

Any ideas 'cos this is really getting me down and I ain't got enough teeth left to just keep pulling the buggers out willy-nilly!

Highway is your man. Although, he hasn't been around for a few days.

Some kind of mouthguard for use at night?

Not a dentist but a GP (and my sister is a dentist if that counts for anything!)
Really hard for your dentist to work out which tooth is causing the problem if nothing visible on the surface and x-rays are OK. You can understand the approach of generically treating the problem until it either goes away or shows itself more clearly. The site of the abscess only narrows it down a bit- still could be one of a number of teeth. Hard to understand why this is happening, the grinding tooth thing doesn't sound quite right to me, abscesses must surely be due to either dental caries or gum disease?
Stay off the booze if your antibiotic is metronidazole (otherwise you could be really ill with the mixture) and a combination of non steroidals (if you can take them, brufen, diclofenac and the like) and simple analgesia (paracetamol and codeine in various strengths) will see you through until your dentist can sort it more permanently.

I feel for you David, as well as your antibiotics and pain killers a regular mouth rinse with strong salted water has helped in the past.

Wish you better mate.

Thanks for the help guys, and especial thanks to you Castle for taking them time to answer. No worries on the alcohol front - only drink at Christmas to New year, the rest of the year absolute TT. Strangely, once the abscess comes up to full size (vast) it looks dreadful but doesn't really hurt anymore... unless you touch it or an errant puppies claw happens to clout it

Not at all sure why I've started grinding my teeth in the night, but that does seem to be what sets it off and man, does that fekkin' hurt!

So what with a face like Desperate Dan and a posture like the hunchback of Notre Dame I look a sorry sight!