Leading healthcare professionals call for safer delivery of sedation for dental patients

Today the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry has launched new national standards to ensure the safe, high quality delivery of conscious sedation for dental patients

The report: Conscious Sedation in the provision of dental care is being launched at the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England today where Professor Richard Ibbetson, Chair of the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry and Professor Nigel Hunt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery  will highlight the need to ensure the quality of care delivered to dental patients requiring conscious sedation. 

The standards apply to everyone who is involved in the administration of conscious sedation in dentistry, including dentists, doctors, nurses and dental care professionals. The report is part of the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry’s aim to improve standards in dentistry and ensure dental patients receive safe, quality care in both the primary and hospital setting.

The report provides best practice guidance around:

• Care pathways – this includes preparation for sedation and consent for treatment
• Clinical sedation techniques – information around the clinical team required for each conscious sedation technique.
• Peri-operative care – this includes processes for monitoring, management of any potential adverse events, recovery, discharge and details of required follow up care
• Patient information- outlines written information required for adult and child patients
• Education and training - this provides details of the appropriate validated education and training and demonstrated competence required that is assessed through a robust process.

Professor Richard Ibbetson, Chair of the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry said:

“These national standards are important for ensuring that as a dental community we are delivering safe, and high quality care to our patients, across the country.

“Administrating conscious sedation delivers many benefits to patients however all procedures carry a degree of risk.  We need to ensure that all practitioners follow these national standards in their day to day practice so that we deliver safe and high quality care to patients. We hope that these new guidelines will help to improve sedation services in the primary care setting and ultimately relieve the pressure on referrals to secondary care”.

Notes to editors

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is a professional membership organisation and registered charity, which exists to advance surgical standards and improve patient care.

The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to enabling dentists and specialists to provide patients with the highest possible standards of practice and care.

For more information, please contact the Press Office:

• Telephone: 020 7869 6047/6052
• Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk
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