FACT 1:  Most medical emergencies occurring in dental offices are neither life-threatening nor cardiac in origin (Malamed, USC).  To argue that CPR is all that is required is naïve and statistically wrong. 

FACT 2:  Calling 911 is NOT an emergency plan.  Nationally, the AVERAGE response time for EMS is 11-15 minutes.  Dental offices should be able to manage ANY medical emergency (diabetic shock, seizure, MI) for at least 30 minutes without outside assistance.

FACT 3:  Currently, the American Dental Association has no standardized guidelines for medical emergency preparedness by dentists.  If dentists do not have standards for medical emergencies, only the Board of Dentistry remains to protect the interests of the public.

Fact 4: Curiously, many offices have oxygen for ONLY non-breathing patients.  Apparently, many dentists believe that when a patient is struggling for oxygen, the best strategy is to let them stop breathing before helping them.

FACT 5: Not all medical emergencies are complications of sedation/GA.  Sharon Freudenberger, Associate Professor at CWRU Dental School was working on her son’s tooth when a piece of gauze slipped into his throat. Fortunately, she was prepared and her son is still alive.  Unfortunately, a child in NJ died last week while receiving local anesthesia in an office that was already on probation for a previous death. Additionally, Dr. Yagiela, noted author and lecturer, stated that there has been a death in every state from local anesthesia.

FACT 6:  Dental leaders in medical emergency management know medical emergencies routinely happen and have concerns about the profession’s state of readiness.  Malamed has described the current state of affairs as, “Poor” and went on to state, “Office preparation is essential…”  Haas said, “The successful management of a medical emergency is one of the great challenges in dentistry.”  Rosenberg said, “Every dentist will likely manage a medical emergency during the course of their practice.” 

In response to, Watchdog for Coalitions Against The Dental Profession (CADP), which I couldn't find any public information on at all...

•    I am the Executive Director, working as a non-salary employee.
•    Our combined staff salaries do not exceed $40,000 annually.
•    Mario Blanco, the founder of RMBF, provides 95% of all operating capital.
•    Since RMBF’s inception we have had a board of advisors. There is now a direct link to their page on our website.
•    Our 501 (c) 3  2011 financials will be made available to the public once completed.