Switch to Daylight Savings Time Will Launch First Annual Sedation Dentistry Safety Week Hosted by DOCS Education
The first annual Sedation Dentistry Safety Week will be held March 9th to March 13th. Nearly 10,000 specially trained dentists and their staffs throughout the United States will be encouraged to mark the switch to daylight savings by taking the time to review and refresh their safety procedures. The goal is to ensure that sedation dentistry, which has grown increasingly popular, remains fear-free, anxiety-free and safe. The 5-day event, featuring a different theme each day, is hosted by DOCS Education, the nation's leading trainer of sedation dentists.
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) February 25, 2009
For nearly 10,000 specially trained dentists and their staffs, this year's switch to daylight savings time will mean more than resetting their clocks and checking their smoke alarms.
These dentists will use the occasion to participate in the first annual Sedation Dentistry Safety Week, March 9-13, five days dedicated to ensuring patients that sedation dentistry, an increasingly popular method of receiving vital dental care, is not only pain-free and anxiety-free, it is also extraordinarily safe.
"Even beyond patient comfort, patient safety has always been Job #1," notes Dr. Michael Silverman, national chairman of Sedation Dentistry Safety Week and one of the world's leading sedation dentistry educators.
Dentists trained by Dr. Silverman and his colleagues at DOCS Education, which he co-founded in 1999, have safely treated more than 1.25 million adult dental patients by carefully adhering to or exceeding standards recommended by the American Dental Association and set by individual state dental boards.
"While sedation dentistry has become the mainstream alternative for fearful and anxious patients, Sedation Dentistry Safety Week is designed to reinforce the dental profession's commitment to being constantly vigilant on behalf of patient safety," Dr. Silverman notes.
Activities during Sedation Dentistry Safety Week will include a review of key steps that all sedation dentists and their staffs must take with each and every sedation patient. Core safety equipment and supplies will also be checked. Patients, themselves, will be reminded of what they can do to assist their dental office's team, including providing dentists with complete and accurate medical histories ahead of any procedures.
These are the specific themes assigned to each day of Sedation Dentistry Safety Week:
Monday, March 9th - The Sedation Dentistry Safety Checklist: A Review of Protocols, Equipment and Supplies
Tuesday, March 10th - Team Work: The Role of Dental Assistants and Staff in Assuring Safety
Wednesday, March 11th - The 2009 Safe Sedation Dentists of the Year: Recognizing Excellence in Patient Safety and Comfort
Thursday, March 12th - A Consumer's Guide to Safe, Anxiety-Free Sedation Dentistry: What Patients Need to Know To Optimize Their Experience
Friday, March 13th - Talk to a Sedation Dentist Day: Veteran Sedation Dentists Will Be "On Call" to Answer Questions from Other Dental Professionals and Consumers.
All dentists who offer oral conscious sedation services to their patients are encouraged to participate in Sedation Dentistry Safety Week, regardless of where they received their training, says DOCS' Dr. Silverman.
Dentists who would like more information on sedation dentistry safety or training are encouraged to phone: 877-325-3627. Consumers with questions about fear-free, anxiety-free sedation dentistry can call (888) 858-7972.
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