NYSDA Publications

AHRQ Issues Report on Dental Care and Hemophilia

Jul 16, 2024

Per the notice below, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has issued a report on dental care and hemophilia.

Dental Care for People With Hemophilia: A Rapid Response Literature Review

  • A search of the Embase® and PubMed® databases, as well as professional society websites, identified no primary research studies or systematic reviews that evaluated the effect of dental care on hemophilia treatment outcomes.
  • Two practice guidelines and two reviews with consensus-based recommendations for dental care for people with hemophilia were identified and reviewed.
  • Preventive care and patient education were highlighted as essential practices for people with hemophilia to avoid periodontal disease, gum bleeding, and the need for major surgical intervention.
  • No primary research evidence was available to conclude the appropriate timing for hemophilia patients to receive dental care in order to improve outcomes in response to factor replacement treatment.
  • All included guidelines advocated for access to dental services and the inclusion of dental care as part of a multidisciplinary approach to hemophilia management.
  • All included publications shared the recommendation that people with hemophilia undergoing dental services should consult with a hematologist or coordinate with a hemophilia treatment center and that dental services should occur with adequate hemostatic measures.  Several guidelines recommended that dental treatment be scheduled to occur in tandem with factor replacement therapy, if indicated, to minimize risks of bleeding due to dental treatments.  Dental procedures should be performed as close to the time of administration of factor concentrate as possible.
  • Specific dental care recommendations may vary based on the severity of hemophilia and age.  In dental procedures that required local anesthesia, it was recommended that children on routine prophylaxis receive factor replacement therapy prior to administration of anesthesia.
  • All recommendations aimed at the management of hemophilia during dental services, not incorporating dental care as a strategy to improve hemophilia treatment outcomes.

Oguh UJ, Yu WW. Dental Care for People With Hemophilia: A Rapid Response Literature Review. Rapid Response. (Prepared by International Consulting Associates, Inc., under Contract No. 75Q80124P00001.) AHRQ Publication No. 24-EHC020. Rockville, MD; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; July 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23970/AHRQEPCRAPID_DENTAL_HEMOPHILIA. Posted final reports are located on the Effective Health Care Program search page.

Project Timeline

Dental Care for People With Hemophilia: A Rapid Response Literature Review

Jul 11, 2024

Topic Initiated

Jul 11, 2024

Rapid Evidence Product

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Internet Citation: Rapid Evidence Product: Dental Care for People With Hemophilia: A Rapid Response Literature Review. Content last reviewed July 2024. Effective Health Care Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.  https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/hemophilia-dental/research