Dental Marketing Survey: Dentists Love Oral Conscious Sedation Dentistry

Dentists Love Oral Conscious Sedation Dentistry

Survey Finds OCS a Top Priority among Dentists

In our most recent survey, we asked dentists if they offer their patients oral conscious sedation. Two out of three dentists reported that their dental practices offer OCS. A quarter of dentists don’t feel comfortable offering sedation. And 8% said that they wished they were able to offer OCS, but regulations in their state made it too difficult to implement in their practice. Oral Conscious Sedation Dentistry

When it comes to sedation, urban dentists are the most conservative, and rural dentists the most liberal. Rural dentists are most likely to offer sedation. In addition, urban dentists were most likely to wish they were able to offer oral conscious sedation.

Gender differences were minimal, but still significant. Female dentists were more likely to feel uncomfortable offering OCS than their male colleagues. In addition, male dentists are more likely to offer OCS at their practices.

“Oral conscious sedation is an excellent tool for the fearful patient that has not been to the dentist in years,” commented a New Jersey dentist. “The regulations are overly onerous. More rules and regulations won’t prevent irresponsible behavior–it will only prevent many competent practitioners from utilizing this modality,” complained a Maryland pediatric dentist. “I think the training provided by DOCS (Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation) is both adequate and excellent. I oppose the new regulations proposed by the ADA,” wrote a Michigan dentist.

Read the full oral conscious sedation survey results.

A. Friend

Well, i completly agree with most of this post. How ever i caution not to link the goals of DOCS with the best interest of the general dentist or as some counter to the proposals of the ADA. DOCS has its own agenda and it is not always as it apears. I look forward to hearing more on this subject.
http://www.mccartyanesthesiology.com Patrick McCarty

I think that OCS should be utilized for the percentage of the population that can benefit from such treatment. However, I would strongly advise any practitioner to expand their knowledge far beyond what a single course can offer regarding anesthesia, emergency medicine and pharmacology. You must remember when practicing any form of anesthesia you are held to the same standards of the profession itself. There is no “magic pill” available, if you have not witnessed complications then you are not experienced. While I think OCS, IV or any means that offers access to patient care is a tremendous service, one must truly prepare themselves for the responsibility that goes along with it. If you can not honestly say you have done that … well … then you may wish to seek other means of accommodating patients who are candidates for sedation. Thank you
Voice of Reason

We have to keep in mind that sedation carries much greater risk than any other procedure a dentist is licensed to perform. We are not talking about the loss of a tooth here, failure to manage sedation complications results in morbidity and/or mortality. $$$ clouds the judgment of many dentists and there is no doubt regulations should be stricter. A single death is far to many when the cause is a lack of skill set on the part of the health professional administering such medications. DOCs is a “for profit” business with its own agenda. I am all for dentists utilizing various routes of anesthesia if/when they spend the needed resources to acquire adequate training. Soon, a JCAHO like evaluation process will put an end to the usage of non – FDA approved medication and sedation means that is somehow prevelant throughout our profession.
http://none Susan

Anyone who fears regulation of a drug, Halcion/Triazolam, that has been banned in the UK and elsewhere because of Mfg fraud (hiding known serious side-effects) — that is NOT FDA approved for use as a sedative, but is WIDELY being marketed by dentists for that use (if the MFG did it OPENLY it would be criminally prosecuted as they just were over another of its drugs) — that NONE of the “sleep dentistry” websites are listing serious adverse effects it’s associated with — and that more than a few of these “DR Feelgoods” are dosing at Eight or more times the label recommended dose,

Then they have financial interests in this off-label use of this DANGEROUS drug.

Just because it’s less likely to make you die in the dentist’s chair, because of the short half-life, doesn’t mean it can’t ruin your life FOREVER — have you put away in a mental institution and put on even more Benzodiazepines, because the symptoms are like schizophrenia – only worse.

If you doubt this, read the FDA label, Read Peter Breggin’s info on Brain Disabling Effects of Benzodiazepines and WAKE UP!

This drug got a terrible rep as a sleeping pill and now Pharmacia/Pfizer/Upjohn is certainly covertly pushing it for use as a dental sedative.

If they want to use it, dentists should know ALL of the facts, be very careful with the dosage, know the patient history and tell the patient AND a significant other what COULD HAPPEN to them — they can go psychotic and would never be able to know why unless someone else knew the risks and could advocate for them.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS DRUG AND ANYONE WHO TRIES TO TELL YOU DIFFERENTLY IS A LIAR AND A CROOK!
Valerie Branch

I was given oral sedation in an “implant center” and was sedated over 10 hours. I was given Halcion, diazepam, hydroxyzine and lorazepam all within a three hour period. I take 40 mg. a day of Opana for chronic pain plus I had taken 4 mg. of Dilaudid for pain before I arrived. The dentist was aware of all my medications.

I think, in restrospect, that it was a bit risky to keep me sedated for that long. Usually, surgeries do not exceed a couple of hours. This is all done for the convenience of the dentists.

Another problem I later found out is that none of the three dentists who orally sedated me have an oral sedation license from the State of California. I will be sure and inform the state dental board of that fact. This is “assembly line dentistry” at it’s worst.
http://www.brainrobber.com brainrobber

Have done a LOT of research on triazolam.
The mfg LIED about safety many times. Promoters of this off-label use are now lying FOR the manufacturer. But in the end, the dentist will take the heat for it.

Dental researchers, some connected with DOCS, are distorting and lying about safety in their peer-reviewed papers.

There is one claim they’ve been batting around for years, totally unsubstantiated, but very very important: that 2-4 mg doesn’t cause respiratory or cardiovascular distress. At least two prominent dentists claiming this are citing BOGUS studies as evidence – studies that have nothing to do with those doses. Another prominent researcher can’t substantiate the claim either. It’s all BS, and it’s probably why John Coleman in Mo was dosed that much and killed with it.

All the facts are provided on the blog.

Recommendations of over .5 mg for an appointment are getting into the danger zone of this drug which, despite outright lies by promoters, has a NARROW, not wide, margin of safety.

The UK uses midazolam. There are many benzos available, all with risks, however NONE — NOT ONE — with the risks of triazolam.

Read the blog and try to overlook the cursing if that bothers you. I have a daughter seriously damaged by 1 mg of triazolam. NOBODY knows what this combination of CNS depressants, sublingual dosing, and off-label use of a DANGEROUS PSYCHOTIC drug is capable of, and a walk down DentalTown Lane on a triazolam search oughta scare any patient away from just trusting any dentist with this deadly weapon.

And it’s not safe just because you have flumazenil on hand either, cowboys. The very idea that its ok to knock your patients out because you have a “reversal” agent, is just insane. And that reversal agent will do nothing for a patient made psychotic by the drug.

Don’t get me started.
http://www.torontodentist-smileblog.com Toronto Dentist in Etobicoke

Looks like I’ll be sticking with the nitrous and my snake-charming hypnotic personality that puts them all to sleep.

Joe

Dentists Love Oral Conscious Sedation Dentistry

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