I have several broken teeth. I'm terrified of dentists due to bad ones as a kid and teen. I get tooth infections about 1-2x a year and just get antibiotics. I am not looking forward to when I finally bite the bullet and deal with this mess. Proactive tooth care is definitely better...

If it's a possible gum infection make some strong salt water with regular table salt and gargle and swish that around in your mouth for a bit. 2-3x a day. Sometimes you may even find doing it brings some relief.