Do I Need a Dental Specific ILS course?

Here's what you need to know about Dental ILS training in your practice.

There's lots of options when it comes to ILS training in your dental practice - but does your ILS need to be dental specific?

Tooth with question marking indicating question about dentistry

Why ILS?

ILS training is required for any dental practice delivering sedation. Your sedation team must all be trained in the advanced airway management techniques required in an emergency.

If you offer sedation in your practice, understanding the potential medical emergencies associated are vital.

But does your training have to be dental specific? It's a grey area so let's try & shed some light on it.

What's the Guidance?

The Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry (it just rolls off the tongue!) or IACSD provide the Standards for Conscious Sedation in the provision of Dental Care (another snappy title).

The standards should give you all you need to know about sedation & the training you need. But does it?

IACSD state that the entire sedation team must be trained in ILS as per Resuscitation Council UK guidance. They also state that you don't have to attend a Resus Council course & that dental specific equivalent ILS courses are also acceptable.

So you're still left asking...'WHAT SHOULD I DO?'.

We Still Haven't Answered the Question...

That's because, as usual, there isn't a single answer for everyone.

Ultimately, you don't have to do a dental specific ILS course. But consider some of the following questions before deciding:

Would your team benefit more from scenario based training in the place they'll be working (your practice)?
Would your team benefit from training that covers specific areas relevant to the most likely outcomes within dentistry rather than a hospital environment?
Would your team feel more confident having their specific concerns about sedation & ILS within dentistry answered?
Would your team prefer content that's been tailored to dentistry to a generic, hospital based course?

It's all about feeling confident & prepared. You want to know that if something goes wrong, your team will work together to calmly & effectively manage the emergency right?

Training in your practice, with your team & your equipment is usually the best route to that outcome.

So what do we recommend?

Our Recommendation

We always recommend that any training you take should be completed to best prepare your team not to just tick the boxes.

Anything you can do to make your team feel more confident in an emergency at your practice will always be worth it should the worst happen.

Dental specific training will ensure you get training that's suited to you & your team. This will engage your team & give them a safe environment for asking all the question thy need to.

Ideally, ILS training that follows on from your CPR & Medical Emergencies would also be preferrable. One provider can maintain consistency through your training & get to know your team & how you operate.

The decision lies with you & what suits your team best. But if you're unsure or need any further guidance, get in touch - that's what we're here for!

P.S. If you're ready to book a Dental ILS course for your practice you can BOOK HERE

3 Ways to Prepare For Medical Emergencies During Dental Sedation.

Is your dental team ready for sedation?

Insertion of an i-gel airway into a manikin

If you're utilising sedation in your practice, your team need to be fully prepared to meet your duty of care if your patient becomes unwell.

Serious about managing sedation?

Here are 3 areas to consider:

1. Increased Risk of Medical Emergencies

Your team needs to be able to manage the additional risks associated with sedation including: -

Airway obstruction
Complete loss of airway
General difficulty maintaining an airway.
Respiratory Depression
Loss of Consciousness

Your team must be confident & ready for such complications & fully understand their role in an emergency. To do this, they'll need regular, dental specific ILS (Immediate Life Support) training.

2. Additional ILS Training in Practice

As well as training in the delivery of sedation, your entire sedation team must have ILS training as per the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry (IACSD) Standards for Conscious Sedation in the provision of Dental Care 2015.

As a professional dental team that cares for your patients, your training has to suit your environment. You need dental specific, scenario-based ILS training that prepares you for an emergency above the level of basic CPR & AED training.

Training should leave your team feeling confident & prepared for managing an emergency. There's specific equipment & techniques that must be practiced to achieve this including the use of oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal & I-gel airways.

Understanding the role & responsibility of each member of the team is also key & should form part of your training. You should have dental specific, scenario-based ILS training that prepares your team for an emergency during conscious sedation in your setting.

Although Dental ILS training is annual, your team should complete training as regularly as is required to remain competent & confident to keep your patients safe.

3. Emergency Action Plan

Have you identified the risks & taken action to minimise them?

Review your practice response to a medical emergency & produce an emergency action plan that includes:

Communication – Do you have a system for calling for help throughout the practice and calling for further medical support if needed?
Emergency Equipment- Is all your emergency medical equipment up to date and are all staff fully familiar with each item and the location where it is kept, including oxygen delivery?
Emergency Drugs – Are your emergency drugs current, in date with doses clearly identified and staff familiar with their location and use.
Roles and responsibilities – Do all staff know what is expected of them if a patient is taken unwell in the practice. Understanding the roles & responsibilities of each member of the team is also key & should form part of your training.

These Are Just the Basics

These are just some of the things you need to think about when delivering sedation. For more information, the IACSD provide guidance in all aspects of sedation in dentistry here.

P.S - If you need further information on ILS training for your dentistry team, we're here to help. Click Here to book or find out more.