The North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners is considering changing how anesthesia is administered to dental patients after several patient deaths, WSOC-TV reported Aug. 15.
Five things to know:
1. There have been eight anesthesia-related deaths in the state, including six in the past four years, according to the news station.
2. Dentists in the state are currently allowed to administer sedation or general anesthesia and perform the procedure at the same time.
3. The dental board is considering requiring dentists to have an anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist be present during deep sedation to track adverse events and deadlines for how quickly adverse events are reported to the dental board.
4. M. Alec Parker, DMD, executive director of the North Carolina Dental Society, told the news station that the NCDS does not support requirements for an anesthesia provider to be present during dental procedures, citing increased costs, a lack of providers to meet demand and a lack of scientific evidence to support that a separate anesthesia provider would enhance patient safety or decrease adverse events.
5. The dental board could make its decision during its September meeting. If enacted, North Carolina would be the only state in the U.S. to require the presence of a separate anesthesia provider during dental procedures.