3 Reasons To Tell The Dentist You're Taking Blood Thinners Before A Checkup Begins
In some instances, medication is a short-term affair, but sometimes it becomes a daily item which is needed to keep the body in a healthy state. As someone who has recently begun taking blood thinners to fight cardiovascular disease, it is important that you learn when to speak up about your new medication. For example, take your upcoming dentist checkup. You may not realise that your dentist needs to know about this new medication, and here are three reasons why it is important to speak up and let the dental clinic know about this change in your life.
1. Potential Impact If Dental Work Is Required
Most of the time, you expect your dental visit to be nothing more than a cleaning, but if a cavity or dead tooth is found, then the medication you are taking impacts strongly on the procedure you can receive. Because blood thinners leave you more prone to uncontrolled bleeding, a dentist cannot always extract your tooth without you making changes to your medication in advance. If they did an extraction without knowing about your blood thinning medication, then there is the possibility the wound site won't clot properly after the tooth is removed.
2. Additional Precautions May Be Required
Even if the dental work needed by you does not involve the potential to bleed, the dentist will still take extra precautions when working in your mouth. For example, they may use a healing agent known as a hemostatic agent to quickly control bleeding if it occurs. Depending on the type of blood thinner you are taking and its dosage, your dentist may recommend you stop taking it for a specified number of days before they can do any dental work. The amount of time you are off your blood thinner is a subject for discussion between your dentist and your doctor.
3. Blood Thinners And Your Gums
One known side effect of taking blood thinners is that your gums may bleed slightly when you are brushing your teeth each day. If this happens to you, it is important that your dentist knows about it because it means your gums need to be treated more carefully than those of patients not taking blood thinning medication. Your dentist will take extra care not to knock or bruise the gum while they do their work.
If you have any further concerns about your medication's impact on your upcoming dental checkup, ring the dental office before your appointment so you can discuss your fears with the dentist.
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