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What Causes Low Platelet Count After Removal Of An Abscessed Tooth?

Posted on Thu, 17 Jul 2014

Question: Hi, I had an abscessed tooth removed, and even though an x-ray confirmed this, and the procedure wouldn't be done for 3-4 days the dentist would not give me antibiotics. After it still hurt enough to go to a DR. who then prescribed amoxicillin. After 2-3 days the pain cleared up. The blood test showed , low platelet count148 high neutrophils % 79.7, and high neutrophils absolute 8.6. Would this point to an infection? The Dr. wouldn't say. Thanks XXXXXXX D

Answered by Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (22 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
abscessed tooth, antibiotics, analgesics

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your query, i have gone through your query.
The extraction of the tooth with an abscess should be prescribed with a course of antibiotics like penicillin and metronidazole(if you are not allergic) and analgesics. Take a complete course of antibiotics. If the pain persists then consult the dentist to get the extracted site irrigated with saline and betadine. Then maintain the oral hygiene by rinsing your mouth with saline soon after eating anything.
The normal platelet count is 1.5-4lakhs/cc of blood. its border line, nothing to worry. The increase in the neutrophil count could be because of the acute infection. nothing to worry, the antibiotics reduces the infection and the cell count will come back to normal.
I hope my answer will help you, take care.
if any queries are there reply me back.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (1 hour later)

actually I had a vary painful root canal done, I have reason to believe that is what the dentist wanted. Why wouldn't I have been prescribed antibiotics before? Nothing felt numb when he started drilling and when he broke through it was the worst pain I have ever experienced. He then gave the numbing shot directly into the tooth. I think that he didn't like it that I was surprised that Medicare wouldn't cover dental care after I turned 65. I have since found a different dentist, and Dr. who I thought was covering for him. This is important to me because I see a therapist for my bi polar, and when this subject comes up he seems not to believe me. Why would I not have been prescribed an antibiotic, before or after? The dentist I went to after and showed the x-ray to said he wouldn't have let me leave the office without a script. for an antibiotic. Thanks XXXXXXX D

Answered by Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (7 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
antibiotics and analgesics

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for sending the query.
The root canal tretment procedure will be done under local anesthesia so it will be painless.. if there is severe infection then the local anesthesia will not work so you might have had pain during procedure.
To over come this you should take antibiotics like penicillin and metronidazole before root canal treatment.
I hope my answer will help you. Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (18 minutes later)

Actually I had a very painful root canal done I have reason to believe that is what the dentist wanted. Why wouldn't I have been prescribed antibiotics before, as the dentist I switched to said he wouldn't have left me leave his office without a script. for some. Nothing felt numb when he started drilling, and when he broke through it was the worst pain I've ever experienced. I think he was upset that I was so surprised that Medicare wouldn't cover my dental care after I turned 65. I also have a different Dr. Would the fact that the dentist didn't prescribe antibiotics before have had an effect on the severity of the pain? and is there any logical reason my dentist didn't prescribe antibiotics? This is important to me because I'm bi polar and when I go to my therapist and this subject comes up he looks at me like I'm really out there.

Answered by Dr. Mahesh Kumar T S (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
antibiotics, local anesthesia, adverse effect

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for your reply, ya definitely there is a sense of not prescribing antibiotics like metronidazole because it interacts with the drugs you are taking for bipolar disease(lithium) and results in toxicity.
But he could have prescribed other type of antibiotics.
the reason for pain during the procedure could be because of acute infection and not taking antibiotic course.

The second reason could be the use of local anesthesia without adrenaline. We cannot use local anesthesia with adrenaline in bipolar diseases so if your endodontist has used local anestgesia without adrenaline then the effectiveness of anesthesia is comparatively less.

To reduce the pain you can take antibiotics(other than metronidazole) and an analgesics prior to the treatment procedures.

I hope my answer will help you, take care.

Note: Find out which dental treatment will work best for your teeth. Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T