Many states require AEDs for dental offices that use conscious sedation.
Conscious sedation is growing in popularity with dentists and dental patients. It allows patients who might defer dental work out of fear, or because of physical or behavioral issues, to receive dental care.
Using oral conscious sedation, the dentist gives the patient a medication that is swallowed or absorbed beneath the tongue. Oral conscious sedation is also called non-intravenous conscious sedation or enteral conscious sedation. In intravenous conscious sedation (also called parenteral conscious sedation) the patient receives the medication through a needle. In both types of conscious sedation, the patient remains awake and able to respond to instructions, although with some of the medications the patient’s memory of the treatment may be hazy.
As with any type of anesthesia, safety is a paramount concern. During conscious sedation, the dentist monitors the patient’s vital signs, including blood pressure and pulse. The dentist may also monitor oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter. Conscious sedation (also called minimal sedation) is not supposed to affect breathing or heartbeat.
In most states, use of oral sedation in dentistry practices is regulated. Some states require special certification, and some require training in CPR and advanced life support. More than a dozen states have laws that require offices using conscious sedation to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) available. The most recent state to require AEDs in dental offices using conscious sedation is Illinois, where a new law went into effect Jan. 1 of this year.
Other states with laws requiring AEDs for dental offices that use conscious sedation:
- Arkansas AED
- Colorado AED
- Florida AED
- Georgia AED
- Louisiana AED
- Missouri AED
- New York AED (required for parenteral conscious sedation)
- North Carolina AED
- Tennessee AED
- Washington AED
- West Virginia AED
- Wisconsin AED
State laws regulating dentistry are subject to revision by state legislatures — for instance, the Washington state law requiring AEDs in dental offices using anesthesia, may be revised as a result of comments from the Washington State Dental Association. For the most up-to-date information, please consult the regulatory agency for dentistry in a particular state.
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April 7th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Having a procedure done requiring sedation and the office said that I must have someone wait in their waitng room the enitre 3+ hours. This person cannot leave the building. They said it was the law; yet I cannot find it. In case of an emergency that is what 911 is for. Doesnt put much faith in the dentist.
April 7th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Thanks for your comment, Paul.
While it’s true that 911 is an available resource for emergencies, in our experience we’ve seen situations where emergency services arrive too late in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, where the victim has a roughly ten-minute window for resuscitation efforts. That’s where having an AED on hand can be vital.
I’m not sure what you mean by “doesn’t put much faith in the dentist.” Happy to discuss further.
Thanks again for reading and taking the time to comment.
April 7th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I understand the 911 and AED. But does the law state that someone is required to be there in the building for the one under sedation ?
As for the “doesn’t put much faith in the dentist.” I was referring to the fact that if the law does not require someone there, why does the dentist?
April 8th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Paul, while I wasn’t able to isolate your exact question, the New Jersey Board of Dentistry takes the matter of conscious sedation very seriously. The notion of having someone in the waiting room does not sound out of the ordinary in light of some of the regulations. You can find out more at http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/dentistry/sedation.htm.
Thanks for the dialogue.
January 18th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
If the patient has to go to the hospital, the staff will call 911. The person in the waiting room will go with the patient, not the office staff, to check the patient into the hospital. That person being a friend or relative can furnish information that the hospital will need and perhaps supply information or give permission needed to save the patient’s life. The dental office staff is not able to tell the hospital the patient’s wants or needs concerning their willing will or give permission for any type of treatment that may be needed. The office that goes the extra mile has a better chance of saving that patient in case something happens during the procedure. We are all human and while similar looking, our bodies can react very differently when drugs are introduced into our systems.
January 18th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
Sorry, should have been living will. I would put more faith in a dentist that really cares about the patient!
Dental Office Manager