At one time or another, you may have had trouble finding a dentist who was willing to work on you, and for understandable reasons. Anytime you require major work—such as deep cleaning, scaling, root canals, extractions, or periodontal surgery—your dentist should contact your hemophilia treatment center for guidance on additional factor treatments. Your dentist will need to know:

• The type and severity of your condition
• The product with which you’re treated
• Whether you have a venous access device (port)
• Whether you’ve had a joint replacement
• Whether you have a co-infection
• Whether you have an inhibitor

Mouth bleeds can take a long time to heal because there are so many blood vessels in that area. After an oral procedure, you should only eat soft food that’s at room temperature. Avoid using a straw, don’t spit, and don’t smoke, since all of these can dislodge a clot. Your doctor may recommend using Amicar^®, which can be taken orally and used topically. It neutralizes enzymes in saliva that often prevent a clot from forming in the mouth. Amicar is available only by prescription.