Efficacy of tranexamic acid mouthwash as an alternative for factor replacement in gingival bleeding during dental scaling in cases of hemophilia: A randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the following study is to evaluate freshly prepared tranexamic acid mouth wash (FTAMW) as an alternative to factor replacement therapy (FRT) in controlling gingival bleeding in hemophiliacs during dental scaling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experimental treatment regime (ETR) involved saline transfusion followed by FTAMW and the control treatment regime (CTR) involved FRT followed by placebo mouthwash. A total of 22 hemophiliacs randomly received dental scaling under either CTR or ETR at two different visits, following a split mouth design. They were instructed to use the rendered mouthwash 4 times a day for 5 days and record the mouthwash usage and bleeding episodes in a logbook. The difference in the bleeding episodes was analyzed using Chi-square test with the level of significance predetermined at 0.05. RESULTS: Totally 19 patients completed the study. Seven patients reported no bleeding either in ETR or CTR; five patients noticed bleeding in CTR, but not in ETR. Three patients noticed bleeding in ETR, but not in CTR. Patients reported ease in usage and cost-effectiveness of ETR. CONCLUSION: FTAMW was found to be an effective alternative to FRT in controlling gingival hemorrhage in hemophiliacs during dental scaling.