RESUMEN
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the HemCon Dental Dressing [HDD] in controlling post extraction bleeding and to ascertain its role in healing of extraction wounds, as compared to control. The 40 participants in the study were all receiving oral antiplatelet therapy [OAT]. A total of 80 extractions were conducted without altering the patients' drug therapy. The extraction sites were divided into 2 groups: one group received a HDD, and the control group where the conventional method of pressure pack with sterile gauze under biting pressure [followed by suturing if required] was used to achieve haemostasis. All HemCon treated sites achieved haemostasis sooner [mean = 53 seconds] than the control sites [mean = 918 seconds] which was statistically significant [P <0.001]. Postoperative pain in the HDD group [1.74] was also significantly lower than in the control group [5.26] [P <0.001]. Approximately 72.5% of HDD-treated sites showed significantly better postoperative healing when compared to the control site [P <0.001]. HDD proved to be an excellent haemostatic agent that significantly shortened the bleeding time following dental extraction in patients on OAT. Additionally, HDD offered significantly improved post-operative healing of the extraction socket and less postoperative pain