Dentists are highly skilled professionals who see a diverse range of medical emergencies. But, what is the most common medical emergency in the dental office?
Syncope is the most common medical emergency in a dental office. Palpitations and syncope episodes accounted for about 50% of all reported emergencies, with mild allergy making up only 8%. The most popular events were during or after local anesthesia- particularly tooth extractions (55%).
Dentists see all kinds of medical emergencies, but which one is the most common? We’re going to take a look at some of the most common medical emergencies in the dental office and what you can do to prevent them. Keep reading to learn more!
What is Dental Syncope?
When you’re in the dental chair, your body’s blood supply is redistributed because your heart rate slows down. This can cause problems with your nerves and brain because the blood isn’t flowing to them to provide any necessary nutrients. Syncope is what happens when your brain doesn’t get enough blood flow.
Syncope is also known as fainting. Syncope happens when someone does not receive enough oxygen for their brain needs or needs more oxygen than they are receiving. If syncope lasts for over 10 minutes it is considered a medical emergency that requires immediate attention from a medical professional.
The most common type of syncope that happens at the dentist’s office is due to hypotension. Hypotension is when there are less-than-normal quantities of the blood being pumped by your heart.
There is a myth that people faint while at the dentist because they’re afraid of them. This myth isn’t entirely true; patients do not actually faint out of fear while in the dental chair and it’s more likely that they will faint from lack of blood flow to their brains. Fainting happens more often than you think, about 15-20% of adults have experienced this once before.
What are the Symptoms of Syncope?
- You may experience dizziness.
- Inability to focus
- Feeling sleepy or foggy
- Headaches
- When standing, you feel like you’re about to fall over or collapse.
- Falling for no reason, with no apparent cause.
- Seeing spots, or having tunnel vision are examples of visual changes.
- A hot, sweat-inducing condition characterized by cold and clammy perspiration.
- Pale skin
Why are Emergency Procedures Necessary in a Dental Office?
Medical emergencies happen more often than you’d expect. Medical professionals must be prepared for a number of medical procedures and emergencies, including CPR, removing impacted wisdom teeth, stitches, etc. Medical professionals are trained on how to handle an unconscious patient who has lost consciousness due to lack of blood flow to their brains or some other reason.
It is important to remain calm and panic only if the patient has trouble breathing or bleeding excessively. Medical professionals are prepared for such medical emergencies and can quickly take care of your problem with their training and equipment readily available. Medical emergencies happen more often than we would like but they don’t all have to be scary; make sure you find a dentist who works closest to where you live or work and is open late in case you need an emergency procedure done at night.
When Can a Medical Emergency Occur in the Dental Office?
Medical emergencies can occur in the dental office at any time, but there is one medical emergency that occurs more than others. Medical emergencies are rare in most dental offices, but anyone can have them so they need to be taken seriously. Medical emergencies are serious and require immediate attention from the dentist or other staff members. Dental professionals should be able to provide CPR or basic first aid until help arrives. Medical emergencies can occur at any time so it is important for dental workers to stay alert and be prepared. When an emergency happens, dental staff should be ready to provide help. It is essential that the dental employee has knowledge of CPR and first aid. Medical emergencies that occur in the dental office include:
Fainting (syncope), breath-holding, seizures, panic attacks, abdominal pain, allergic reaction, heart attack, and stroke medical emergencies are rare, but they do happen. Dental professionals need to be ready for any medical emergency that might arise while working with patients. People who suffer from chronic illnesses should make sure to let the dentist know about their condition so the dentist can watch them extra closely during appointments. Medical emergencies should always be taken seriously because they can quickly cause harm to a patient’s health. Anyone, including people who do not have any known conditions or chronic illnesses, should feel free to seek immediate help if they ever start feeling unwell or feel sick in the dental office. Medical emergencies can happen to anyone, so people in need of dental work should be aware in case an emergency happens when they are in the dentist’s chair.
What Do You Do if a Patient Faints in a Dental Chair?
Patients often faint due to a lack of oxygen being delivered to the brain. If this happens, place the individual in a flat position with their legs raised slightly to boost blood flow back to the brain. Any tight closing should also be loosened. This boosts oxygen delivery to the brain, allowing for a more efficient recovery. Once the individual is stable, call 911 and let them know what happened. Check the patient’s breathing and heart rate. Give them nothing to eat or drink until they’re fully recovered. In most cases, patients will wake up within a few minutes and recover on their own.
If the individual is pregnant, diabetic, have heart disease, high blood pressure, or other serious medical conditions you may want to wait for medical help before allowing the person to regain consciousness. Emergency situations in the dentist’s clinic are uncommon, but they do happen. A common case is when a patient faints while receiving treatment for a cavity during a root canal procedure. This commonly occurs due to anxiety about being at the dentist combined with lack of oxygen being delivered into his brain from lowered head positioning during treatment of the tooth.
What are the Causes of Fainting in Dental Chair?
One of the most common causes is dehydration. When a person is dehydrated, their blood volume decreases and this can lead to a decrease in blood flow to the brain. Other potential causes of fainting include:
- Having low blood sugar
- Anxiety
- Taking certain medications
- Heavy sweating
- Blood in the legs forms a pool when one changes their position suddenly.
- Tiredness
- Overheating
- Fear
How Do You Handle a Dental Emergency?
As an assistant, be ready for anything. Always know where your phone is located so you can quickly dial 911 if needed. The key is knowing it all even before it happens. Medical emergencies are a very real and dangerous part of life. The dentist’s office may be one place where you can expect them, but it certainly isn’t the only setting for these events to happen in.
To learn some reasons why medical emergencies in the dental office occur you must first understand what a medical emergency is and some basic facts about medical emergencies. Dental Medical emergencies can range from a dental patient suddenly going into cardiac arrest to a dental patient having a severe allergic reaction to a local anesthetic or even from simply fainting from lack of blood flow to the brain.
