Blood loss following extraction of deciduous teeth under general anaesthetic

The potential for significant blood loss following deciduous tooth extractions has been a factor in treatment planning in dental care for children. This paper reports the results of a study which aimed to quantify normal blood loss following extraction of deciduous teeth from medically fit children under general anaesthetic. Blood loss from a group of 50 children aged 3 to 5 years, having at least one molar tooth removed, was determined by comparing the amount of haemoglobin in a sample of the patient's whole blood with a known dilution of blood collected during surgery and recovery. Total blood loss ranged from 2.5 to 57 mL, with the maximum corresponding to deciduous clearance of (the removal of all deciduous teeth from) the upper arch together with the lower molars for a 3-year-old child. Clinical judgement would suggest that the maximum potential blood loss resulting from a complete dental clearance (20 teeth) from an otherwise fit child in this age group is unlikely to be greater than 100 mL. It is concluded that the risk of inducing hypovolaemic shock from this procedure is much lower than the risks of using repeated administrations of general anaesthesia to facilitate a staged dental clearance.