ADA Foundation Helps Prepare Profession for Increased Use of Sedation, Anesthesia

$100,000 grant to fund advanced training to manage rare dental emergencies

CHICAGO (April 7, 2008) — As advances in dental technology offer a greater range of treatments in dental offices, the ADA Foundation is taking a proactive step to help ensure patient safety advances are in step with tomorrow’s dental science through a $100,000 grant to the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Research Foundation, Inc.

The grant will fund development of curriculum materials and advanced training to help dentists better prevent, recognize and treat exceedingly rare complications and emergencies that may arise in a dental setting from sedation and anesthesia.  

The training will be a combination of electronic-mediated written materials and a laboratory practice component based on the latest scientific knowledge and techniques on the use of sedation and anesthesia, giving special emphasis to airway management and emergencies.
“At a time when dentists are increasing their use of sedation and anesthesia in the dental office,” said ADA Foundation President Arthur Dugoni, DDS, MS, “there is a critical need for an advanced course that focuses on emergency management. As dentistry’s premier philanthropic and charitable organization, the ADA Foundation is taking this opportunity to meet that need, and to fulfill its mission of educating dentists and promoting public and oral health.”

The grantee also will carry out pilot testing of the proposed course.  The ADA Foundation will then partner with the American Dental Association (ADA) to make the course widely available sometime in 2009.  State dental boards will be encouraged to accept this course as an alternative to currently required emergency certification courses for dental professionals providing sedation and anesthesia.  ADA Member dentists wishing more information should contact the CDEL at (312) 440-2694.

The ADA Foundation provides grants on a rotational basis for sustainable programs in dental research, education and access to dental care.  The current grant is part of an education-related ADA Foundation Request for Proposals for its 2008 Program Year.  Announcement of the grant follows new anesthesiology guidelines approved by the American Dental Association last fall. 

About the ADA Foundation
The ADA Foundation is a catalyst for uniting people and organizations to make a difference through better oral health. Since 1991, the ADA Foundation has disbursed nearly $31 million dollars to support such charitable activities. In addition to funding grants for dental research, education, scholarships and access to care, the Foundation supports Charitable Assistance Programs such as relief grants to dentists and their dependents that are unable to support themselves due to injury, a medical condition or advanced age; and grants and loans to those who are victims of disasters. http://www.adafoundation.org

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