Dental teams need to be prepared not only to administer CPR, but must attend to other urgent care issues, such as allergic reactions, seizures, loss of consciousness, etc. Delays in EMS response time can occur both in both urban and rural areas practice settings. The dental team therefore must assume the role of "first responder" within their respective office environment.

For a dental office to be truly prepared for a medical emergency, 6 critical factors must be addressed. Together these items work together to form a response chain. Failure will occur at the weakest link. These 6 links of survival are: (1) dentist training, (2) staff training, (3) routine practice drills, (4) a written protocol with concise assignments for each person, and algorithms for common situations, (5) proper urgent care medications, and (6) proper resuscitative equipment.

This course will address: syncope, angina, myocardial infarction, hypertension, hypotension, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complications, hyperventilation, allergies, diabetic imbalances, and epilepsy/seizure disorders