Dentists, dental nurses, and other staff should be prepared in the event of a medical emergency in their dental practice. Although not typical, a medical emergency in the dental office can produce accidental bodily injury, respiratory and circulatory problems, and even allergic reactions.
Being prepared is the first step to protecting your patients and your practice in the event of a medical emergency.
Emergency Training for Dental Professionals
Through their clinical and academic experience, dentists should be familiar with the prevention, diagnosis, and management of common emergencies. Additionally, dentists should provide relevant training to their staff, so they can respond appropriately, promptly, and with confidence in the event of a medical emergency.
As medical response skills are not practiced every day, it’s important to regularly review any relevant training materials. For example, consider conducting mock emergencies to help your staff remain confident in their roles and responsibilities in the event of a medical emergency.
The elements of a sound medical emergency plan for the dental office should include:
- Medical emergency prevention
- Development of an action plan
- Recognizing a patient’s distress
- Understanding how to manage medical emergencies
- Emergency response techniques, drugs, and equipment
Basic Life Support Training for Dental Professionals
Every dental office should develop a medical emergency protocol. This protocol should include all staff having Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Basic Life Support (BLS) training is provided to your staff by HSS, to provide them with the necessary tools to save lives for patients who may suffer from cardiac arrest or other life-threatening conditions while in your dental office. Our BLS training is based on criteria provided by the American Heart Association and can be administered when a victim appears to be unconscious, whether it’s from cardiac arrest or choking.
HSS Dental Emergency Training
Dental practitioners and dental care professionals need to be prepared in the event of a medical emergency.
Learning and maintaining the knowledge and confidence necessary to effectively and efficiently deal with medical emergencies is an important component of all dental professionals’ continuing professional development. Additionally, it is essential for dental patients safety and wellbeing.
Basic Dental Medical Emergency Management is designed for any individual working within the dental field. Course materials include a comprehensive review of the following:
- Identification of the materials needed for a medical emergency kit (i.e., equipment and medications)
- Potential medical emergencies that may occur in the dental office
- The critical role of medical history to prevent emergencies
- How to recognize the symptoms of a medical emergency
- CPR certification and review
- Essential drugs for emergency management
- Legal aspects of office emergencies
- The importance of medical emergency simulation
The ultimate goal of any dental professional is to be prepared to recognise and manage any potential medical emergency promptly. This starts by properly training your staff and having access to proper medical equipment.
If you are interested in scheduling medical training for your dental clinic, contact the professionals at HSS. We look forward to hearing from you.
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