The Importance of Dental Hygiene and Regular Dental Care for Patients with Bleeding Disorders
As medical professionals, we at Wells Family Dental Group understand that bleeding disorders influence the lives of those affected by them in myriad ways. If you live with a bleeding disorder, it will likely seem obvious to you the challenges associated with more invasive dental procedures like root canals and wisdom teeth extractions. Any procedure that causes bleeding or swelling is inherently more complicated in a patient with a bleeding disorder. That being said, with a proper treatment plan that includes the use of clotting factors and other medications these procedures can be and are regularly performed safely and successfully on patients with von Willebrand disease, Hemophilia, and other blood disorders.
What may be less obvious is the way that a bleeding disorder can affect dental hygiene and, consequently, overall dental health in a way that is not directly the result of bleeding. Almost everyone who has ever flossed has experienced at least a tiny bit of bleeding from the gums as a result. Even if you can’t see the blood or aren’t sure exactly where on the gums it is originating, surely you have gotten the irony taste of blood in your mouth after a flossing session. For people whose blood clots normally, this bleeding tends to just be a minor annoyance that lasts at most a couple of minutes, but for people with bleeding disorders this type of bleeding can persist for hours if not treated. Additionally, for people with severe cases of bleeding disorders, even normal brushing can result in swelling of the gums. As a result, daily dental hygiene is more challenging for people with bleeding disorders and a study has shown that for those with hemophilia specifically the rate of periodontal (gum) disease is significantly higher.
Any dentist will tell you that it is better to prevent a dental problem than to solve one and this is even more so true in the case of patients with bleeding disorders. Excellent dental hygiene and more frequent trips to the dentist can prevent dental problems from arising in the first place and, consequently, the potential bleeding complications associated with the procedure that would have been required to solve that problem down the line can be avoided all together. In addition to hygiene, prophylactic measures such as sealants are a non-invasive tool that dentists can use to protect the teeth and minimize the risk of future dental problems.
Contact Wells Family Dental Group Today
Don’t wait until you have a problem! Preventing dental problems before they arise and avoiding the need for invasive dental procedures is beneficial to everyone and is paramount for those who have bleeding disorders. Contact our Raleigh, NC dental office today to set up and initial consultation so we can develop a plan to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as they can be!