[Pszinygv]

Dentists won't pull a tooth that has an abscess under it as the Injection that anaesthetises the area and makes it numb (Novocaine etc) does not work if an abscess is present, you need to go to the doctors or the in patient part of a hospital and they will gives you a weeks course of Amoxicillin (anti-biotics)to get rid of the abscess, only once the abscess has gone will a dentist pull the tooth, that's what happened to me anyway.

That's a commonly held belief but it's not true. They will pull it if the abscess isn't a risk, usually because it isn't infected. I had a tooth pulled at the emergency dentist because an abscess had formed on the gum and I was in too much pain to wait to see my dentist (it was clear and not brown and infected though).

You're right about the anaesthetic not working though as they did tell me they would only pull it if they could get it numb enough (which the abscess might prevent).