Have you had a tooth extracted while taking Coumadin?!
Question: Have you had a tooth extracted while taking Coumadin.?
If so, what was your experience like.? I am having two teeth pulled soon and the dentist consulted with my regular doctor. My doctor said that recent studies show that the risk of stroke or other complications is much greater than the risk of excessive bleeding, so she said I do not have to go off of the Coumadin before the extractions. I am on Coumadin for life (10 years so far) due to an artificial heart valve. My INR was at a good level the other day. I'm not real worried about the bleeding, just wondering what I need to be prepared for. Thanks!Health Question & Answer
Answers:
It also depends on how easy or difficult the extraction is. Like the previous person said, if your INR is within a reasonable range, you will clot, but it just takes longer. I've had patients take >45 min to clot (the patient was kept in the chair until he did clot), but I've also seen them clot as fast as patients not on coumadin.
If the tooth extraction is "simple", meaning it comes out without too much trouble and the dentist doesn't need to pull your gums back, remove bone, etc, you should be fine.
On the other hand, if the tooth breaks and the dentist needs to do a lot of surgery to get everything out, you will likely bleed a bit more. But eventually you will clot.
I normally would like to see an INR of <3.0 on the day of the appointment, but if it's 3.2 and not expected to be too difficult of an extraction, you should be fine. That is your general dentist's call however.
If you are seeing an Oral Surgeon, they are very well equipped to handle anything, so you should be fine almost regardless.
Just expect a little longer post op oozing and possibly bruising. Health Question & Answer
If the tooth extraction is "simple", meaning it comes out without too much trouble and the dentist doesn't need to pull your gums back, remove bone, etc, you should be fine.
On the other hand, if the tooth breaks and the dentist needs to do a lot of surgery to get everything out, you will likely bleed a bit more. But eventually you will clot.
I normally would like to see an INR of <3.0 on the day of the appointment, but if it's 3.2 and not expected to be too difficult of an extraction, you should be fine. That is your general dentist's call however.
If you are seeing an Oral Surgeon, they are very well equipped to handle anything, so you should be fine almost regardless.
Just expect a little longer post op oozing and possibly bruising. Health Question & Answer
What was your INR exactly.? Is it under 3.? But yes, new research shows that it's much better to just deal with the bleeding than to risk a clot. And if both dentist and physician give you the okay, you'll be fine. They will just use a lot of pressure and maybe even apply a pressure dressing and leave it on. So I haven't actually seen one, but my oral surgery professors all say that's if you get the okay, patients usually do very well. Best of luck!Health Question & Answer