Bleeding Complications in Anticoagulated and/or Antiplatelet-Treated Patients at the Dental Office: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bleeding complications in patients undergoing antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy have been one of the main concerns in dental practice. Upon the introduction of new antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, there is a search for new protocols that respond to a secure treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate bleeding complications in anticoagulated and antiplatelet-treated patients after performing simple dental extractions, in a period of 4 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 147 clinical records of anticoagulated and/or antiplatelet-treated patients undergoing a simple dental extraction over a period of 4 years (October 2015 to September 2019) were studied. Within the sample, 63 patients were antiplatelet-treated, 83 were anticoagulated, and 1 patient was under both therapies. Within the anticoagulated patients, 70 took classic anticoagulants and 14 new oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Quantitative data were studied with arithmetic mean and standard deviation (SD). The chi-square test was used for the qualitative variables. ANOVA tests were used to compare age and anticoagulated or antiplatelet-treated patients. Statistical significance was determined when p < 0.05. RESULTS: From the 418 dental extractions performed, five severe bleeding complications took place in three patients (2.11%). From the five events, four were in patients treated with NOACs (1.68%) and one occurred in a patient anticoagulated with acenocoumarol (0.42%; p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the results of this retrospective clinical study, we can conclude that bleeding complications in anticoagulated and/or antiplatelet-treated patients after tooth extractions were low, with a higher incidence recorded in patients treated with NOACs, followed by classic anticoagulants, and there were no complications in antiplatelet-treated patients.