Coumadin and Dental Appointments

Coumadin, Warfarin or any other anticoagulant therapy (Blood Thinners) may affect your dental visit. In years past it was thought that someone on any theraputic level of Coumadin needed to stop 3 to 4 days prior to dental visits. Really we find that this need not be the case. It is very important however to have consistent montioring while taking anticoagulants. Too high a level and the body can begin to bleed spontaneously. Too low a level and unwanted blood clots can cause internal problems like stokes and heart attacks. INR is a measure of bleeding time and thus the level of medicine in your system. If the INR levels are below 3.5 then anyone can have a routine cleaning or simple filling. If the level is below 3.0 then complex restorations can be preformed. If the INR is below 2.5 simple extractions can be preformed. If below 1.9 more complex dental surgeries can be preformed.

These values can be found at http://www.warfarinfo.com/dentalprocedures.htm.

There is no reason to postpone dental visits while on anticoagulant therapy. While there are many reasons for someone to take coumadin, diseases such as heart disease and stroke, in fact it is more beneficial to have a clean mouth rather than fear too much bleeding.