Dentists Told to Expect Medical Emergencies in Their Offices
Photo courtesy of Dr. Stanley Malamed
Dr. Stanley Malamed
"Medical emergencies can and do happen in the practice of dentistry. You need to be prepared."
That was the message given to more than 1,120 dentists from across Michigan who packed the auditorium at the Rackham School of Graduate Studies on the U-M campus in early January for the annual day-long Kenneth J. Ryan, DDS Memorial Seminar.
Dr. Stanley Malamed, professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesia and Medicine at the USC School of Dentistry, was the speaker at the event cosponsored by the Delta Dental Foundation and the U-M School of Dentistry. The author of three widely used textbooks, Malamed has also written more than 135 scientific papers and 17 chapters for medical and dental journals and textbooks and has produced two popular interactive DVDs.
The lecture began with a riveting 8-minute video that showed what could go wrong in a dental office.
As an elderly gentleman waited in the lobby for his grandson to be treated by a dentist, the man suffered a fatal heart attack despite the efforts of office staff and an emergency medical services crew.
In the background, a voice is heard saying, "It didn't have to be like this."
During his presentation, Malamed said that 75 percent of medical emergencies in a dental office are due to stress and anxiety.
He told dentists it was vital that they, and everyone on their staff, be trained in CPR and know what to do should an emergency arise.
"When is the best time to call?" he asked rhetorically. "As soon as necessary. Sooner is always better than later."
Malamed advised making sure members of the dental office team knew what their roles are.
The first member, he said, is the first person to arrive at the scene of the emergency. This individual should stay with the victim, call for help, and administer basic life support, as needed.
The second member retrieves an emergency drug kit, portable oxygen cylinder, and automated external defibrillator and brings those to the site of the emergency.
The third and other members of the dental office team would perform ancillary tasks, as needed.
In addition to basic CPR training, he also advised dentists to purchase an AED or Automated External Defibrillator, as well as make sure they had other equipment, such as an oxygen tank, and emergency drugs available.
