Medicolegal considerations for office-based anesthesia in dentistry

Over the past decade, there has been a virtual explosion in the demand and utilization of office-based ambulatory anesthesia services in dentistry. Not surprisingly, with this increased demand has come an increased exposure to medicolegal risks and concerns for the unwary or unprepared dental practitioner. This article provides the practitioner with a brief overview of the potential medicolegal risks and recent trends in litigation that may arise in today's office-based anesthesia practice.