Comparison of Postoperative Bleeding with and without Discontinuing the Antiplatelet Drugs (Aspirin, Clopidogrel) after Tooth Extraction

Background: A significant percentage of people who see a dentist are on antiplatelet treatment, and the rest of them have stopped taking these medications for 3 to 7 days prior to dental surgical surgery to avoid unnecessary bleeding and the possibility of adverse thrombotic cases. This study was conducted to compare postoperative bleeding with and without stopping antiplatelet drugs in tooth extraction.

Materials and Methods: Patients were divided into two groups, Group A consists of extraction of tooth without discontinuation of antiplatelet and Group B consists of extraction of tooth with discontinuation of antiplatelet with the consent from treating physician/cardiologist. All patients underwent for extraction under local anesthesia. Postoperatively, the amount of blood lost during the operation was calculated, any oozing or bleeding was looked at the operated spot and occurrence or nonappearance of oozing, as well as active bleeding was measured.

Results: Mean age of group A patients was 55.08 years and mean age of group B was 52.92 years. After 1 hour assessment of bleeding status, active bleeding was 12% in group A and 6% was in group B, findings were non-significant (p=0.271). After 24 hours assessment of bleeding status, there was no bleeding in 42% patients of group A and 58% patients of group B, oozing was in 34% patients of group A and 26% patients of group B, while active bleeding was 24% in group A and 16% was in group B, findings were non-significant (p=0.271). Mean of bleeding (in grams) was higher in Group A as compared to Group B (p=0.041).

Conclusion: There was no significant effect on bleeding during tooth extraction with continuation of anticoagulant therapy