A Review on the Management of Patients on Anticoagulant Therapy Programmed for Dental Extraction and Minor Oral Surgery

Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are frequently used for the treatment and prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation and/or heart valve prosthesis. In order to obtain the desired therapeutic effect and minimise the side effects associated with both excessive anticoagulation and the management of these drugs, proper monitoring and dose adjustment is necessary (which causes bleeding) and with insufficient antithrombotic action (which can produce thrombosis). This is essential for people who need to have surgical procedures like teeth extractions. Numerous guidelines are available in this context for the management of anticoagulated patients scheduled for tooth extractions. The majority of studies do not advise reducing or stopping anticoagulation before tooth extraction, as long as therapeutic international normalised ratio (INR) levels are kept constant for the management of haemostasis.