Management of dental patients with bleeding disorders: review and update

Management of the dental patient who has a bleeding disorder requires an understanding of the normal hemostatic system and the patient's specific coagulation defect. This patient group can receive quality comprehensive dental care, provided appropriate preoperative planning and evaluation with the patient's physician or hematologist is accomplished. Emphasis should be placed on providing appropriate replacement therapy before the dental procedure, selection of conservative treatment approaches, and use of local hemostatic measures to facilitate hemostasis.