OBJECTIVE This aims to provide healthcare professionals, including primary care dental practitioners, with clear guidance on the management of patients who are taking oral anticoagulants and who need dental surgery. METHODS Medline and Embase databases were searched from 1950-2006 using the following keywords: dental, surgery, oral and anticoagulants. The guideline was developed according to the guidelines of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH), which can be seen in detail at www.bcshguidelines.com/process1.asp. The system for classification of evidence and grading of recommendations is shown in Table 1. BSCH indicate that updating review of the guideline is planned for 2011. CONCLUSIONS The guideline make 5 key recommendations which are shown in Table 2. CONCLUSIONS None were given.