Dental Extractions, General Anaesthetic & Medical Emergencies: An update for the Dental Team

Venue:   School of Dentistry, Education Wing

Dates:    Friday 6^th November 2026

Time:      8.45am to 9:00am Arrival and Registration for a 9am start - Close at 4:30pm   

Course Speakers:

Professor Laura Gartshore: Professor & Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, Vice Dean for Student Experience, FDS National Specialty Director

Mrs Sarah McKernon: Senior Lecturer & Honorary Consultant in Oral Surgery, Medical Emergencies Lead

Mrs Joanne Bowles: Senior Lecturer in Dental Therapy, Vice-Dean for Learning, Chair & President Elect of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT)

Who Should Attend? The course is aimed at members of the dental team who work or plan to deliver dental care for patients receiving general anaesthesia, specifically both Dental Therapists and Dentists.

Aim: Professional dental organisations advocate for a multidisciplinary, team-based approach for the provision of dental care with general anaesthesia (GA). Scope of Practice permits dentists and dental therapists to perform procedures within their defined scope with GA. Dental therapists play a vital role in addressing the growing demand for dental care, particularly for children and special care patients requiring treatment with GA. The GDC specify that dental therapists must complete mandatory training in GA protocols, medical emergencies (immediate life support for both adults and children), consent processes, and relevant clinical skills (e.g., airway management, surgical safety checklists, theatre protocols). Dentists working in the theatre environment must also be appropriately trained to do so and demonstrate engagement with contemporaneous, evidence-based practice and guidelines. This course supports a collaborative model to balance workforce efficiency with patient safety and supports the evolving needs of dental care delivery in the UK. Learners will receive presentations and hands-on practical teaching from experts in the field.

Course Description

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

·     Define the evolving scope of practice for the whole dental team, including Dental Therapists, within general anaesthetic (GA) services.

·     Demonstrate knowledge of the general anaesthetic operating environment, theatre etiquette, and current national guidance.

·     Apply patient safety principles and theatre protocols, including the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, consent processes, airway management, and error reporting

·    Demonstrate competence in adult and paediatric Basic Life Support (BLS) in accordance with the 2025 Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines, leading to certification on successful completion.

·     Recognise and respond to medical emergencies as an emergency first responder using a structured ABCDE approach in line with current national guidance.

·   Simulate the practical management of airway emergencies, adult and paediatric medical emergencies, and the extraction of primary teeth on a phantom head with an airway in situ.

·     Describe the principles and clinical techniques required for restorative procedures and paediatric extractions performed under general anaesthetic

·    Recognise, prevent and manage intra-operative complications associated with dental treatment under general anaesthetic.

·   Explain the governance, documentation, indemnity and professional responsibilities required for safe practice in the general anaesthetic environment.

·      Demonstrate effective collaboration within a multidisciplinary general anaesthetic team

 

*This programme qualifies for 6.5 hours of verifiable CPD*

*This course links to Enhanced CPD development outcomes: A, B, C and D*