If you take blood thinning medication, it can affect your dental appointment. Here at Mid Cities Dental office, we want to help inform you of the best practices concerning blood thinners and dental procedures. Please read more below about the best practices you should be aware of before your dental appointment.
First, why are blood thinners prescribed?
Blood thinners are often prescribed to people who are at risk of developing blood clots.
What are some other reasons you be at risk for blood clots?
- Certain types of heart or blood vessel conditions and diseases
- Had a stroke or heart attack
- Surgery on your veins or a heart valve replacement
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Certain types of abnormal heart rhythms and heart defects
- Cancer and certain cancer treatments
- Genetic clotting disorder
What are blood thinners?
Blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants, are medications that help to prevent blood clots from forming in the body. These clots can be dangerous if they occur in the blood vessels of the heart, brain, or lungs. A clot can block the flow of blood and cause serious problems, such as a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism.
There are different types of blood thinners, including:
- Warfarin
- Xarelto, Pradaxa, Eliquis, Lixiana, Plavix …
- Heparin
- Aspirin
How can blood thinners impact your dental appointment?
They can impact your dental appointment in a few ways.
Every person is different, and every situation needs to be managed carefully.
It is important to let your dentist know if you are taking any blood thinners, as they can affect the way your blood clots. This can be especially important if you need any invasive dental procedures. These types of procedures can include tooth extraction, root canal, implants, or other surgery, as you may be more prone to bleeding. We may need to take extra precautions during these procedures.
Interference with other medications
Additionally, blood thinners can interact with some of the medications that your dentist may prescribe after a dental procedure. For example, certain pain medications or antibiotics can affect the way your blood thinners work.
Before your surgery or procedure, we will evaluate many factors to determine if you need to stop taking your anticoagulation therapy for a short period of time. We will work with you to manage your medications and make sure that there is a safe balance between your clotting and bleeding risks.
Therefore, it’s important to let your dentist know about all of the medications you are taking.
It’s very important to follow our instructions!
We will give you instructions specific to your medical need. Make sure to follow these instructions very carefully before, during, and after your procedure. If you do not follow these instructions carefully before your appointment, your procedure may need to be postponed.
What are some of the side effects of blood thinners?
Bleeding is the most common side effect of using blood thinners. Below we have listed some of the most common other side effects. If you have any of these, make sure to talk to your doctor.
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Bleeding
- Weakness
- Abnormal bruising
- Coughing up something red
- Severe headache
- Severe stomachache
- Heavier than normal menstrual flow
- Brown or red urine
- BM’s that are red or black
- Cut that will not stop bleeding
We want what’s best for your health and dental appointment
Overall, it’s important to communicate with us about your use of blood thinners so that we can take any necessary precautions and make sure you get the best care possible.
Consultation: We offer a free consultations. If you have a concern, give us a call to set up an appointment.