Interpretation of oral anticoagulants in oral surgery management through PRISMA 2020 literature review

Abstract

The number of patients undergoing oral anticoagulant treatment who require dental procedures has increased in Latin America over the last few years. These patients present a higher risk of bleeding during oral surgery, thus requiring special handling during the surgery to prevent complications. Oral anticoagulants include vitamin K antagonists and direct-acting anticoagulants. The study's aim was to interpret oral anticoagulants in the management of oral surgery through a PRISMA 2020 bibliographic review. A systematic search was conducted in certified academic databases, including PubMed, SCOPUS, Scielo, and Google Scholar, using the keywords "oral anticoagulants" and "oral surgery" for studies published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese between 2016 and 2023. Ten articles were selected for the review, determining that patients on oral anticoagulants can undergo dental procedures without interrupting or altering the anticoagulant regimen with the respective local hemostatic measures to minimize the risk of bleeding during and after the intervention. It was concluded that it is of great importance to carefully evaluate each patient before any oral procedure and highlighted the importance of following clinical practice guidelines for the management of anticoagulated patients requiring oral surgical procedures, and to discuss the risks and benefits of intervening in the anticoagulant therapy with the patient. Furthermore, communication between the dentist and the treating physician is recommended to ensure proper management of the anticoagulant therapy