Hemophilia A: Dental considerations and management

AIM: To review hemophilia A with emphasis on its oral manifestations, investigations, and dental management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Search was conducted using internet-based search engines, scholarly bibliographic databases, PubMed, and Medline with key words such as “Hemophilia A,” “factor VIII,” “bleeding and clotting disorders,” and “dental management.” RESULTS: Hemophilia comprises a group of hereditary disorders caused due to the deficiency of one or more clotting factors leading to prolonged clotting time and excessive bleeding tendencies. It is broadly divided into hemophilia A, B, and C, which occur due to deficiency of factor VIII, IX, and XI, respectively. Hemophilia A is an X-linked recessive hereditary disorder and is the most common of the three, accounting for 80–85% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Understanding this complex entity is very important for a dentist to provide appropriate dental treatment and avoid undesirable consequences.