[The questionnaire survey to clarify correspondence of medical doctors and dentists in Fukuoka City, Japan, for warfarin therapy at the dental extraction].

Abstract

Purpose: The questionnaire survey was performed in order to clarify correspondence of medical doctors and dentists working at hospital service for warfarin therapy at the dental extraction.

Methods: For 17 senior dentists in 17 hospitals and 142 senior physicians in 82 hospitals in Fukuoka City, we investigated using the questionnaire whether they supported dental extraction under warfarin therapy or not in patients having warfarin treatment with past history of cardioembolic stroke due to non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Specialty and experience of stroke after withdrawal of warfarin were also asked in medical doctors.

Result: The reply was obtained from 14 dentists (82.4%) and 66 doctors (46.5%). The number of dentists and doctors who pull out a tooth under warfarin treatment continuation were 12 persons (85.7%) and 32 persons (48.5%), respectively. The rates in doctors whose specialty was stroke, cardiovascular disease, and others were 78.6% (11/14), 36.0% (9/25), and 44.4% (12/27), respectively. The rate in stroke specialists was significantly higher than that in cardiovascular disease specialists (p = 0.019). The stroke specialists had experience of stroke after withdrawal of warfarin more frequently than the cardiovascular disease specialists (57.1% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.033).

Conclusion: The rates of acceptance in tooth extraction under warfarin treatment continuation of the dentist were high in Fukuoka city, while that of the medical doctors were not. Rate of doctor's acceptance differed according to the specialties, and may be affected by experience of stroke after cessation of warfarin therapy.