Objective:
To assess the dental experiences of patients with von Willebrand disease for the purpose of developing guidelines for screening and dental management.
Methods:
A 13-question survey was administered to individuals at the National Outreach von Willebrand Conference, held in Phoenix, AZ in February 2012. A total of 55 respondents answered questions regarding oral hygiene habits, frequency and types of prior dental visits, dentists’ attitudes and knowledge of the disease, adverse bleeding events and quality of communication between dentist and haematologist.
Results:
Eighteen percent of respondents reported being refused dental treatment upon disclosure of von Willebrand disease history, while 81% of respondents reported that their dentist did not consult their haematologist prior to rendering treatment. More than half of those surveyed (56%) reported adverse bleeding events following dental procedures. Finally, 37 respondents reported gingival bleeding and 21 had not visited a dentist in the past six months.
Conclusions:
The results of this pilot study indicate that there is a need to educate the dental profession about von Willebrand Disease, especially its oral manifestations. Simultaneously, patients with von Willebrand Disease need to be educated as to the importance of maintaining oral health. Much more research needs to be done on the effects of poor oral health on the severity of bleeding disorders.