Updated Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Drugs dental guidance published

In March 2022, SDCEP published the second edition of its Management of Dental Patients Taking Anticoagulants or Antiplatelet Drugs guidance. The guidance aims to provide clear and practical recommendations and advice to enable the dental team to manage and treat this patient group, and covers assessment of bleeding risk, treatment planning and management of dental patients taking the various types of medication.

The second edition of the guidance includes the newer DOAC, edoxaban, and expanded advice about the low molecular weight heparins. It is based on the most current evidence and has been updated using SDCEP’s NICE accredited methodology. The updated guidance also includes some advice for this topic that aims to support more environmentally sustainable oral health.

The dental faculties of the Royal Colleges, and the College of General Dentistry have endorsed the guidance as a source of reliable, high quality professional advice that promotes the provision of safe and effective oral health care for patients.

The full version of the guidance, a summary Quick Reference Guide and information to share with patients before and after they receive dental care, are all available to download via the SDCEP website https://www.sdcep.org.uk/published-guidance/anticoagulants-and-antiplatelets/.  

An online CPD webinar about the updated guidance, presented by the chair of the guidance development group, Steven Johnston, was delivered on 16 March 2022 and attended by 317 participants. A recording of this webinar will be available soon.