Dentistry, Laboratory Diagnosis, Direct Action Oral Anticoagulants, Anticoagulants, Hemostasis.

Introduction: During dental care, the lack of knowledge on the part of the dental surgeon (DC) regarding the preoperative management of the patient with some hemorrhagic or thrombotic predisposition/condition (the latter using medication to reduce the hypercoagulable potential) can put into question the risk to the health of this patient. Dental practice with competence and safety requires knowledge that, until then, has been little explored by most dental surgeons (CDs). Familiarity with several laboratory tests that allow the evaluation of an individual's hemostatic response through the proper interpretation of their results is essential for the CD, since they have great clinical value. Objective: To describe and investigate factors associated with the knowledge of dentists in the State of Minas Gerais on hemostatic disorders, anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and their laboratory approach in dental practice. Methods: This is a descriptive observational cross-sectional study involving a convenience sample of CDs in the State of Minas Gerais. Study participants answered a questionnaire that contained questions related to bleeding disorders, laboratory tests and their proper interpretation, the use of oral anticoagulants (warfarin and those of direct action - DOACs) and antiplatelet agents. The period for recruiting research participants was between August and December 2021. Additionally, the questionnaire was validated using the Delphi method. A quick reference manual is also being developed to help CDs be used in a safe and predictable manner. Results: For the present study, 389 CDs were eligible, of which the majority were female (65.3%). Of these, most reported not having knowledge about some coagulopathies and thrombocytopathy, and 77.9% and 57.1% only requested bleeding time (ST) and prothrombin time (PT), respectively, even when performing invasive procedures. Most (87.9%) have already assisted patients using drugs that interfere with hemostasis, such as oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, but they have never faced a case of unexpected postoperative bleeding (60.4%). Most participants also reported never having observed oral petechial and gingival bleeding (70.5%). According to the established score, 313 (80.4%) participants were classified as having poor knowledge, 59 (15.2%) with fair knowledge, and 17 (4.4%) with good knowledge. Despite the CDs performing invasive procedures, their responses revealed a significant lack of knowledge about the use of anticoagulants and laboratory tests for their monitoring. In the validation of the questionnaire, the average of the professionals' scores showed values greater than 7.0 (70.0%), indicating a high degree of agreement between the panelists. Conclusion: The knowledge of the analyzed sample of CDs about hemostatic disorders and their implications in dental practice still seems to be insufficient. Although the study participants with specializations in implant dentistry and surgery and oral and maxillofacial traumatology achieved good performance, knowledge about the use of oral anticoagulants as well as their due monitoring still seems to be incipient. The questionnaire was validated, as it presented a level of agreement above 70.0% and could be applied in future research in the field of dentistry.