Can dental nurses triage?
Conclusions. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a dental nurse-led triage system, as the majority of patients were effectively managed by a single phone call to the triage dental nurse. It shows effective teamwork as dental nurses have the skills and experience required to manage patients at first contact.
Why does a dentist need a nurse?
A dental nurse works closely with the dentist, providing assistance throughout a patient’s visit. Assisting the dentist encompasses a wide range of procedures from preparing the various materials required and ensuring the proper instruments and equipment are available, to cleaning and sterilising the used instruments.
Can a dentist do emergency medicine?
Emergencies do occur in dental clinics. Every dentist should have the basic knowledge to recognise, assess and manage a potentially life-threatening situation until the patient can be transported to a medical facility.
What does a community dental nurse do?
A dental nurse’s role is to support the dentist in all aspects of patient care; this includes getting the appropriate instruments and surgery prepared, making sure infection control procedures are followed and continuing surgery preparation throughout the day.
How do you do dental triage?
Dental Triage: Questions To Ask
- Where is the issue? Which side?
- Is the patient currently in pain?
- Is the pain getting better or worse?
- Is there pain to hot or cold temperatures?
- Is swelling occurring?
- Is the patient currently taking any medication for the pain?
- Has there been previous dental treatment in the area?
What is dental triaging?
The purpose of triage is therefore to look at the referral sent by your dentist and to assess the complexity and determine where you would be best be treated. The NHS provides details on the levels of complexity that are applied to referrals and our triage staff will follow these.
What are dental nurses not allowed to do?
However, the GDC Scope of Practice guidance makes clear that dental nurses cannot, at the present time, diagnose or treatment plan (GDC, 2013b). The patient must therefore see either the dentist, or a dental hygienist or therapist working under direct access, before this type of treatment can be provided by a nurse.
Do dental nurses give injections?
The simple answer is yes – we have trained many dental nurses who have gone on to run successful aesthetics businesses, many delivering the procedures alongside a dentist at their current surgery.
What is medical emergency in dental?
An emergency is a medical condition demanding immediate treatment. Emergencies do occur in dental offices: a survey of 4,000 dentists conducted by Fast and others1 revealed an incidence of 7.5 emergencies per dentist over a 10-year period.
What is the most common medical emergency in dental office?
Most frequent medical emergencies to occur in a dental office:
- Acute asthma attack.
- Angina/myocardial infarction.
- Epileptic seizures.
- Diabetic emergencies.
- Allergies/hypersensitivity reactions.
- Choking and aspiration.
- Adrenal insufficiency.
- Cardiac arrest.
What is AAA triage?
Dentists have been working with a AAA triage system. This stands for Advice, Antibiotics and Analgesia. They have produced an advice document for their members which contains information familiar to most of us.
Why is triaging necessary?
When there are too many patients arriving and not enough personnel or other resources, triage is used to determine who gets care first. This ensures the patients who need lifesaving treatment or hospital admission are seen before those who may be presenting for a less serious condition.