Medical Emergencies in Pediatric Dental Office

Medical emergencies can and do occur in the practice of dentistry. Medical emergencies can and do happen in pediatric patients as well. Most medical emergencies develop when the patient, commonly an adult, is fearful or has inadequate pain control. The most common emergencies noted in adult dental patients include syncope (~50%), non-life-threatening allergy, acute anginal episodes, postural hypotension, seizures, acute asthmatic attacks, and hyperventilation. Previous sections of this text dealt with prevention, recognition, and management of the more common medical emergencies occurring in the dental environment in pediatric and adult patients.