Emergency protocol in the dental clinic: Assessing medical emergency training requirements and guidelines for...

Medical emergencies are an unavoidable reality affecting dental practices. This review synthesizes and examines the guidelines offered by governmental and professional organizations.

Licensing agencies and professional associations were chosen as organizations of focus based on legal authority, high professional regard, or both. International and interprofessional organizational counterparts were chosen as points of comparison. In total, 11 organizations were examined. Guidelines reported were compiled by examination of documents published on official agency websites and in associated peer-reviewed journals.

Guidelines for the handling of medical emergencies in the dental clinic vary in level of detail and scope among sources. Licensing agencies provide basic requirements for training, encouraging oral health care providers to develop and integrate their own emergency response plans. Professional associations provide extensive detail on instruction in medical emergency management. Both licensing agencies and professional associations provide lists of emergency medications and equipment, with varying levels of instruction on drug maintenance and organization. Professional associations emphasize regular review of training and office emergency drills.

Oral health care professionals are provided with basic and required elements of medical emergency training by licensing agencies. They may seek out recommended, but not required, instruction from professional associations. Although guidance is provided, literature on protocol instituted in dental practices is limited. Further research is necessary to determine the oral health care community's approach to emergency management.

Providers must be prepared to handle medical emergencies that they encounter. Accessible and understandable guidelines are crucial to safe dental practice.