GDA Action September 2019

September 2019 • 13 Update AAP, AAPD Update Guidance for Sedation in Pediatric Dental Patients HealthDay reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics, in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, has “updated its guidance for monitoring and managing pediatric dental patients during sedation.”The guidelines provide specific guidance for the level of sedation and “note that the practitioner using sedation must have facilities, personnel, and equipment available for managing emergency and rescue situations.”The guidelines were published online in Pediatrics. Writing in the AAP News, Charles J. Coté, MD, lead author of the clinical report, states, “Updated from 2016, the guidance recommends that at least two individuals with specific training and credentials should be present with a pediatric patient undergoing deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in a dental facility or hospital/surgicenter.” The Oral Health Topics on ADA.org provides information and links to a variety of resources on anesthesia and sedation for dental professionals. ADA Guidelines for the use of Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentists is recommended for patients who are adults. For children, the American Dental Association supports the use of the American Academy of Pediatrics/American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Guidelines for Monitoring and Management of Pediatric Patients During and After Sedation for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures. Dental professionals can find additional information on the use of general anesthesia in the ADA Dental Drug Handbook: A Quick Reference. Seeking Adjunct Professors The Georgia Dental Association, along with the Dental College of Georgia and the Department of Public Health, have established an adjunct professorship program in public health clinics in Georgia, with a focus on rural areas. A GDA member dentist will serve as adjunct faculty for the dental school and provide clinical instruction to dental students who are on rotation. The initial pilot site will be in Albany, Georgia with an implementation date of January 2020. The requirements are: • The dentist must be willing to supervise and train two students for a consecutive time period with at least four working days each week. • The dentist must become a Dental College of Georgia adjunct faculty member and complete compliance training (GDA will assist with this). • The dentist must be an active Georgia-licensed dentist and maintain liability insurance. For more information or to become the first GDA member to participate in the Adjunct Professor Program, please contact Emily at [email protected] or 404.636.7553. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released the Final Rule entitled, Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals and Amendment to the P075 Listing for Nicotine, which went effect on August 21, 2019 and applies to dentists. New standards will prohibit the disposal of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals down the drain. Pharmaceuticals are defined by the EPA as “any drug or dietary supplement for use by humans or other animals; any electronic nicotine delivery system; or liquid nicotine packaged for retail sale for use in electronic nicotine delivery systems.”This includes dietary supplements, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, homeopathic drugs, compounded drugs, investigational new drugs, pharmaceuticals remaining in non-empty containers, personal protective equipment contaminated by pharmaceuticals, and clean-up materials from spills of pharmaceuticals. This does not include dental amalgams or sharps. Enforcement by the EPA for knowingly disposing of pharmaceuticals down the drain could lead to civil penalties for violations of environmental law and EPA regulations. For more information, please contact the GDA’s Director of Health Policy, Emily, at 404.636.7553 or [email protected] . New EPA Standards