Medical emergencies in the dental office are, fortunately, relatively rare. The ambulatory nature of dental practice is partially responsible. However, the primary reason for the limited frequency of emergencies in dental offices is the nature of dental education, which prepares practitioners to recognize potential problems and manage them before they cause an emergency.
A study by Malamed of patients in the dental school setting revealed that hyperventilation, seizures and hypoglycemia were the three most common emergency situations occurring in patients before, during, or soon after general dental care. These were followed in frequency by vasovagal syncope, angina pectoris, orthostatic hypotension and hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions.
A study by Malamed of patients in the dental school setting revealed that hyperventilation, seizures and hypoglycemia were the three most common emergency situations occurring in patients before, during, or soon after general dental care. These were followed in frequency by vasovagal syncope, angina pectoris, orthostatic hypotension and hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions.
