If there is a lack of clarity regarding a patient’s medical condition or their medication, consult with the patient’s prescribing clinician. This might be the haematologist or cardiologist rather than the patient’s general medical practitioner and should be done in advance of dental treatment, with interim, non-invasive measures used to relieve pain if required.
By following the recommendations in this guidance, dentists should be able to treat the vast majority of patients in primary care. If necessary, colleagues in primary or secondary dental care could be consulted for advice on aspects of the procedure.
For exceptional cases, if there is concern about whether a patient can be treated safely in primary care, contact a colleague in secondary care to discuss the most appropriate management for the patient before any referral is made. This will avoid unnecessary or inappropriate referral and will ensure that the patient is referred to the most suitable service. If referring a patient, details of the patient’s anticoagulation medication should be included in the referral.