Conscious sedation is an important procedure frequently used in the delivery of dental care to patients who have significant anxiety. Your professional responsibility to ensure the safety of the patient at all times requires you to adopt the latest clinical techniques and deliver care in an appropriate environment.
Equally important is the need to ensure the safety of the team involved in delivery dental care under sedation. Training and effective teamworking is essential but, equally important is the working environment and using equipment that is safe and in good working order.
Key learning points
This advice describes how you can meet your professional responsibilities towards your patients and protect those involved with delivering dental care under sedation. It explains:
- The current recommendations for using conscious sedation in delivering dental care that is safe, effective and person-centred
- The key recommendations of the latest guidance
- Issues that affect patient safety
- The need to create a suitable and safe working environment and control or manage exposure to hazardous anaesthetic agents
- The importance of training to ensure that team members have the knowledge and skills for safe and effective delivery of care under sedation.