While Alison Power waited for her son in the waiting room, 17 year old Christopher Power was being sedated and having four teeth extracted before having braces. Unfortunately, his dentist still used the ‘single operator’ model for sedation. Where the dentist performs both the sedation/anesthesia and dental procedure simultaneously.
The family’s attorneys allege doctors “failed to provide adequate airway management to Christopher, while under sedation.” As a result, they claim, he suffered a “catastrophic brain injury.”
This ‘single operator’ model is not endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Instead, they recommend a trained person, such as a licensed Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), who’s sole responsibility is “to constantly observe the patient’s vital signs, airway patency, and adequacy of ventilation and to either administer drugs or direct their administration and at a minimum be trained in PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and capable of assisting with any emergency event”
The American Dental Association suggested asking these questions before your child or loved one undergoes a dental procedure using any type of sedation.
Who will provide the preoperative evaluation of my child?
How long should my child be without food or drink prior to the procedure?
Will any sedation medication be given to my child before the procedure, if so, how should they be monitored?
What training/experience does the sedation/anesthesia provider have? Does it meet the standards of the ADA Guidelines?
Does the staff have training in emergency resuscitation procedures? Is training regularly renewed?
Does the state dental board recommend a special sedation/anesthesia permit for it to be administered in the dental office?
What to ask during the procedure
What level of sedation or anesthesia will be given to my child?
Are the appropriate medications & equipment immediately available if needed?
What to ask after the procedure
Will the sedation/anesthesia provider give me instructions & emergency contact information if there are concerns or complications?
If you are contemplating sedation for your child’s or loved one’s dental procedure, make sure all safety precautions are taken.
If you live in the New Hampshire area, we encourage you to contact Blue Sky Solutions Group, our expectations are high and yours should be too when choosing to have sedation for your dental procedure. You deserve to have individual attention and an experienced nurse anesthetist providing your sedation whose only concern is monitoring you. We follow the strict American Dental Association guidelines and protocols throughout the procedure.
If you have any questions or want to make an appointment, contact Blue Sky Solutions Group
