Sickle Cell Trait Dental — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyHuman Disease & Dental ManagementSickle Cell Trait DentalORE Part 1

A patient with confirmed sickle cell trait (HbAS), with no sickle cell disease, requires a routine dental extraction under local anaesthesia. Which is the most appropriate management?

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Correct answer: E — Provide routine treatment under local anaesthesia

**A is correct.** HbAS is sickle cell trait, not sickle cell disease. UK Government guidance states that carrier status does not make the person ill and that carriers will not develop sickle cell disease. Therefore, routine dental treatment under local anaesthesia is appropriate; trait alone does not require hospital admission or the disease-specific precautions used for sickle cell disease. Adrenaline-containing local anaesthetic is not contraindicated solely because of trait status. A relevant distinction is general anaesthesia: the patient should inform the anaesthetic team, who should ensure adequate oxygenation and full medical back-up, including for dental treatment. This is a precaution for GA, not an indication for GA or a reason to avoid routine LA.

Reference: UK Government, NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme. *Your antenatal blood test result: you are a sickle cell carrier* (updated 5 March 2026), sections “Being a carrier” and “Rare health issues”: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sickle-cell-carrier-description-in-brief/your-blood-test-result-you-are-a-sickle-cell-carrier-haemoglobin-as