Thanks again for all the replies and input. Much appreciated!
The antibiotics are to fight the infection - which in turns removes some of the pain.
The antibiotic I'm taking is Cephalexin. Seems to be working pretty good as the pain went away right after I took the first one on Thursday afternoon.
Of course, I've also been taking the Advils and did use some of the pain relief gel also on Thursday. But not since.
I think what Joe mentions is what's happened. Split tooth - so chances are it has to come out. But will double check with my dentist anyway about the root canal and crown.
That's funny how everyone else has had the same issue in the same area.
The funny thing about the Cephalexin - if you read my posts in the Dog thread - we are getting through a UTI with my dog and we ran out of Cephalexin! I was trying to get a few more from my vet and it wasn't happening - so this tooth situation totally resolved that issue as well.
Thanks again for the help, guys. Happy Saturday!