Colorimetric Quantification of Blood Loss Following Exodontia

Objectives: The objectives of the study are to measure blood loss following routine extraction of deciduous and permanent teeth, using 2% lidocaine containing 1:80,000 concentration of epinephrine employing colorimetric methods and to compare blood losses along specific parameters of age, gender, tooth type, number of roots, jaw type. Methods: Subjects were consecutive patients referred for extraction. They were all apprently healthy, had no history of bleeding disorders and required single tooth extraction. All tooth was extracted by the same surgeon. Following tooth extraction, cotton gauze was used to collect all bloody exudate till clot was formed in the socket. Colorimetric method of blood loss quantification was employed by measuring the optical densitiy (OD) of 1:100 dilution of patient's whole blood was compared with the OD of a dilution of blood from the extraction socket. 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) being the diluent. These values were substituted in a formula to obtain the value of blood loss from the socket. Results: Seventy single tooth extractions were carried out in patients with an age between 5 and 65 years. 10(14.3%) were deciduous teeth and 60(85.7%) permanent teeth. 43(61.4%)were males, and 27(38.6%) females. The mean blood loss was 2.028±0.2ml. More blood was exuded from females than males (P>0.05), permanent dentition than deciduous dentition (P<0.05), maxilla than mandible and from 2-rooted teeth than 3-rooted teeth and single rooted teeth. No correlation existed between age and blood loss. In both dentitions, posterior teeth exuded more blood than anterior teeth. Conclusions: Blood loss was smaller than previously recorded studies owing to the use of 1:80,000 epinephrine in 2% lidocaine. These values may represent baseline values for dentist performing routine tooth extraction. For the patients and parents, they can be used for educational and psychological tools before tooth extraction.