Bleeding tendency: a practical approach in dentistry.

Abstract

The dental profession faces the problems of exaggerated bleeding on a daily basis. The hemostatic, as well as the fibrinolytic processes are better understood today, and the dentist should be familiar with them. The activation of coagulation factors and their clinical expression in the circulation are both described. The most frequently used blood coagulation tests are explained. Antithrombotic medications are frequently used and their implications in dentistry are accentuated. Protocols of prevention and treatment of exaggerated bleeding following dental procedures are included. Among them, the transfusion of clotting factors and the administration of antifibrinolytic medications (tranexamic acid) are recommended for both congenital or acquired bleeding tendencies.