Technique tips: controlling bleeding during surgical procedures – the ‘mini-sucker’

It is often necessary to ensure good haemostasis during dental procedures, to ensure that blood contamination does not interfere with restorative or other techniques. There is often not adequate access for conventional suction tips and such tips may produce more suction than is desirable. Haemostasis can therefore sometimes be difficult to achieve, for instance during regenerative surgery when enamel matrix derivative is used. In this technique, it is important to maintain a clean, blood- and saliva-free root surface prior to application of the enamel matrix derivative gel. It is not unusual for there to be oozing of blood from the base of the infrabony deficit due to inflammation and this risks blood contamination of the root surface. Adrenaline-impregnated gauze can be used to help with vaso-constriction but one simple and effective technique is to use a blunt needle on the end of a standard surgical suction tip (Figure 1). The metal of the needle does not form a perfect seal with the plastic of the suction tip but there is enough suction from the end of the needle to control bleeding from the base of the defect.