As dental practitioners, we must be continually prepared to effectively manage a medical emergency. Our patients rely on our ability to do so. This however may lead to a difficult predicament because thankfully, dentists encounter medical emergencies infrequently. We therefore may not be proficient in handling these situations since we are not practiced in doing so.

This course will review methods of reducing the likelihood that a medical emergency will occur by learning how to predict who may have a medical emergency and what that emergency is likely to be. As well, the use of emergency drugs will be discussed along with a discussion regarding the most up-to-date protocols for basic cardiac life support and the use of an automated external defibrillator. Finally, specific emergency management will be reviewed and suggestions as to how to organize an emergency kit, so as to be prepared even months down the road, will be provided.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how to reduce the risk of a medical emergency.
• How to assess vital signs and understand what they mean.
• An understanding of basic life support protocols.
• Learn which drugs are appropriate for a dentist to stock in a medical emergency kit.
• How and when to use medical emergency drugs.
• How to manage specific medical emergencies for example syncope, hypoglycemia, stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, asthma, local anesthetic overdose, seizure, and allergy.

This course is suitable for dentists, hygienists, and assistants.

Over the past century, local anesthetics and their delivery systems have evolved and improved significantly. Despite these advances, our ability to obtain profound anesthesia, 100% of the time is elusive, especially in the mandible. These situations can create painful dental visits for patients, creating anxiety for them and for the operator as well. This seminar will explore the reasons and remedies for incomplete local anesthesia. A discussion about relevant anatomy and pharmacology that leads to incomplete local anesthesia will be presented. Techniques to supplement the standard inferior alveolar nerve block and armamentaria besides the standard needle and syringe will also be evaluated. Some of the topics to be explored include the Gow-Gates Block; articaine; intraosseous and PDL injections; methods for pain reduction during injections and local anesthetic and vasoconstrictor drug interactions. Finally, a discussion about new and improved local anesthesia related products and delivery systems will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• The reasons that cause local anesthesia to be incomplete. -Methods to achieve higher success in local anesthesia, especially in areas of infection or unusual anatomy.
• Understanding the use of specific local anesthetics for specific situations.
• Understanding local anesthetic and vasoconstrictor maximum dosages for adults and children as well as important drug interactions.
• New products such as non-injectable anesthesia, a local anesthetic reversal agent, intranasal anesthesia, and Computer Controlled Injection Devices.