There are several actions dental practices can take to prepare themselves for adverse occurrences during patient treatment.
The California Dental Association compiled advice for dental practices Oct. 7.
Eight ways dental practices can prevent adverse patient occurrences:
1. Have documented evidence of establishing and maintaining formal safety protocols that staff can follow for various procedures.
2. Ensure staff are adequately trained by regularly testing employees' familiarity with safety and emergency response protocols.
3. Review and update each patient's medical history.
4. Review patients' medications, including over-the-counter and herbal supplements.
5. Check vitals prior to procedures.
6. Consult with the patient's physician, especially if the patient is medically compromised or has underlying health issues.
7. Conduct and document an informed consent discussion with the patient or their representative or legal guardian.
8. In cases where procedures are being performed by a traveling specialist, confirm their license, training, current insurance and certification before the specialist begins treating patients.
Tips to remain calm during a dental emergency:
1. Know where your emergency response equipment is stored before beginning a procedure, and make sure it can be accessed quickly.
2. Assign a staff member to regularly check and restock emergency response kits.
3. Designate a team member responsible for immediately requesting assistance from local first responders. Be ready to reassign this responsibility if that team member leaves or is out of office.
4. Communicate clearly with staff during the emergency to delegate tasks and make sure protocols are followed.
5. Never raise your voice, to avoid causing panic among staff and nearby patients.
6. After any emergency response, take time to discuss and reflect on the incident with all responding team members.
What dental practices can expect after a patient emergency:
1. Most state dental boards require licensees to report adverse occurrences or events possibly related to dental treatment to their state licensing board, including the death of a patient following treatment.
2. State dental boards generally require specific information when reporting patient deaths, including a dentist's name and license number, the date and time of the occurrence and information about the patient.