How prepared is your dental team if an emergency were to occur today? Use this 7-step checklist as a quick-reference guide to verify equipment, medications, drills, and roles.
By Genni Burkhart
Safe dental sedation depends on preparation, standardized systems, and consistent team performance. A clear, repeatable checklist helps ensure equipment is functional, medications and emergency supplies are current, and the entire team is prepared to monitor patients and respond appropriately if conditions change.
DOCS Education prioritizes patient safety and wellbeing by providing comprehensive training on the complexities of dental sedation. This quick reference guide, exclusive to DOCS Education, carries that same focus into everyday practice, with clear steps for pre-sedation planning, in-appointment monitoring readiness, and emergency preparedness.
The 7-step sedation dentistry safety checklist:
- CHECK all of your monitoring and emergency equipment this week to ensure they are up to code and in working order, including your pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitor, capnograph, automated external defibrillator, and supplemental oxygen delivery system.
- NOTE the expiration dates of all your oral sedation medications, emergency drug kit medications, AED pads, and AED battery. Maintain weekly checks and documentation of the oxygen levels in your emergency tanks. Place orders this week for any items with an expiration date within 90 days, and restore emergency oxygen tanks to full pressure.
- CONFIRM that your office is equipped with an intraosseous infusion system to help you run an IV line in an emergency. This step is especially important if you don't have IV certification or are required to have such equipment (e.g., if you are ACLS certified). This equipment provides immediate vascular access for delivering emergency life-savings drugs. Always review procedures for using the system.
- RUN an emergency drill this week and schedule routine practice drills for the months ahead; every six months is recommended. This step is a team-wide effort, and everyone should participate. Review the locations of all emergency drugs and equipment, and make sure they are easily accessible.
- REVIEW your patient intake procedures with all team members—specifically for all scheduled sedation dentistry patients. Always cross-reference your patient's medications, supplements, vitamins, and herbs with the sedatives and anesthetics you plan to administer. Use a comprehensive program, such as UpToDate Lexidrug Online® software. If there are any doubts, confer with your patient's physician ahead of any treatment and document the conversation.
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and CPR training are important for everyone on your team, so be certain they’ve taken the courses. Every state requires dentists and most staff to have at least CPR/BLS, and many states require ACLS for sedation. Sign up for a refresher course; they're always beneficial. Also, make sure everyone in the office knows how to operate a pulse oximeter, capnograph, and AED.
- CONTINUE your sedation education by registering yourself and your team members for refresher courses and advanced training with a trusted, reliable educator. Even those who regularly treat patients with sedation dentistry will benefit from reviewing the very latest safety and pharmacological insights, as well as previous course materials.
A safety checklist is only effective when it's used by a skilled, certified team that understands and utilizes proper documentation, training, and routine drills. It's important to routinely review these steps to ensure each one is reliable and repeatable in an emergency at any time.
As always, dental teams should comply with local and state dental sedation regulations.
Continue your training
Join Dr. Jay Reznick and DOCS Education for "Evaluating Patient Risk Factors for Moderate Sedation," a webinar on the medical disorders and medications you are most likely to see in everyday practice. Knowing how to assess risk before any sedation begins is essential for safe care.
Learning objectives
- Review common cardiopulmonary conditions that affect sedation planning.
- Recognize medications used for heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure.
- Decide when oral sedation or moderate IV sedation is appropriate.
- Perform a focused physical evaluation to support safe treatment.
- Assign an ASA physical status classification.
- Adjust plans for patients in special risk categories.
Webinar details
- Date and time: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PT, 8:00 p.m. ET
- CE: 1 for DOCS members and trial members who attend live.
You can register here.
Author: With over 16 years as a published journalist, editor, and writer, Genni Burkhart's career has spanned politics, healthcare, law, business finance, technology, and news. She resides in Northern Colorado, where she works as the editor-in-chief of the Incisor at DOCS Education.
