An Emergency Simulation Course in a Postdoctoral General Dentistry Program: The New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine Experience

Simulation training for medical emergencies of dental patients: A review of the dental literature

In recent years, due to the aging of the population, the number of dental patients with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes has increased. Although it has been reported that these patients are increasingly developing medical emergencies during their dental treatments, many dental providers still do not possess the skills to manage medical emergencies appropriately. Simulation training is essential to improve this situation however, there is no report describing how to conduct an effective simulation in detail for dental office medical emergencies. The purpose of this review is to provide information on simulations that is effective and practical. The authors will highlight the key characteristics for providing effective simulation trainings, such as the selection of simulators, simulation locations, instructors, debriefings, methods for evaluating educational effectiveness, and the use of telesimulation as a method for simulation training due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this review provides recommendations on tailoring an ideal simulation training course for those who wish to create one. The authors hope that this review will promote the spread of effective simulation training and in turn, contribute to improving the medical safety of dental patients.

Medical Emergency Management in the Dental Office (MEMDO): A Pilot Study Assessing a Simulation-Based Training Curriculum for Dentists

In the event of a medical emergency in the dental office, the dentist must be able to identify a patient in distress, assess the situation, and institute proper management. This study assessed the impact of a simulation-based medical emergency preparedness curriculum on a resident's ability to manage medical emergencies. This interventional and pre-post educational pilot study included 8 participants who completed a standard curriculum and 8 who completed a modified curriculum (N = 16). The intervention consisted of a comprehensive medical emergency preparedness curriculum that replaced lecture sessions in a standard curriculum. Participants completed performance assessments using scenario-based objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) that were recorded and evaluated by calibrated faculty reviewers using a customized scoring grid. The intervention group performed significantly better than the control group on their summative OSCEs, averaging 90.9 versus 61.2 points out of 128 (p = .0009). All participants from the intervention group passed their summative OSCE with scores >60%, while none from the control group received passing scores. Completion of a simulation-based medical emergency preparedness curriculum significantly improved resident performance during simulated medical emergencies.