Dental Management of Patients With Acquired and Congenital Bleeding Disorders

In an age when people are living longer and medical interventions are continually becoming more advanced, clinicians will need to be aware of systemic disorders and treatments that may cause complications in the dental setting. The Office for National Statistics' projections state that 26% of the UK population will be aged over 65 years by 2041.¹ Therefore, clinicians may often encounter patients who complain of prolonged bleeding following certain procedures, most commonly dental extractions. In the majority of cases, the cause is often a local one, which can be managed using simple local measures. However, poor management can lead to potentially fatal consequences. The aim of this paper is to update clinicians on the dental management of patients with acquired or congenital bleeding disorders, and on how to decide the most appropriate setting for safe dental care. Patient safety in the NHS is a national priority with ever greater measures being put into place to avoid patient harm. Whilst most patients can be successfully treated in primary care, for the provision of safe dental treatment, the clinician may need to make a decision regarding referral to specialist services for all dental treatment, or share care between primary care and specialist services for selected procedures.