Knowledge of coronary stents, thrombosis and dual antiplatelet therapy among Spanish dentists.
OBJECTIVE
The coexistence of heart and dental disease is common and antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel following a percutaneous intervention can interfere with dental practice. Our aim was to study dentists' knowledge of percutaneous coronary interventions and their approach to affected patients.


METHODS
A questionnaire was used to evaluate the knowledge of 100 randomly selected dentists in Spain about coronary stents, antiplatelet therapy, and guidelines prepared by American medical societies, including the American Dental Association, and to determine how frequently they consulted a cardiologist.


RESULTS
Data were collected from 100 dentists. Of these, 17 had no knowledge of coronary stents, but only one did not interrupt dual therapy: 12 consulted a cardiologist and the remaining four discontinued therapy themselves. Of the 83 who knew about stents, only 28 (34%) understood the difference between bare metal and drug-eluting stents. The drug clopidogrel's name was known by 21%, while 60% recognized one of the drug's commercial names and 45% recognized the other. Of the 83 aware of stents, 48 (58%) knew of the possibility of stent thrombosis, but only three knew about possible mortality. Cardiologists were consulted before dental procedures in 83% of cases. Only 36% knew about the existence of the guidelines.


CONCLUSIONS
Although Spanish dentists' knowledge of coronary interventions was limited, in the majority of cases a cardiologist was consulted before a patient taking dual antiplatelet therapy was treated. Only a small percentage of those questioned knew of the existence of American medical society guidelines.
Lozano
Iñigo
I
Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain. imlml9@hotmail.com
Martín
Dolores
D
Torres
Francisco
F
Avanzas
Pablo
P
Rondán
Juan
J
García-Ruiz
José M
JM
Hernández
Ernesto
E
Bayón
Jeremías
J
Vegas
José M
JM
Espolita
Antonio
A
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003815:Dentists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015607:Stents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin