Newsletter: December 2015

At its October 2015 meeting, the Council considered a concern expressed by the New Zealand Institute of Dental Technologists about “keeping and administering of oxygen by clinical dental technicians”.

After careful consideration the Council agreed it would not revise its original decision for clinical dental technicians to keep oxygen, to enable practitioners to use it when required in the management of a medical emergency.

However, the Council acknowledged there were inconsistencies in resuscitation training courses offered, in particular, on the appropriate use of emergency drugs. The same concern can be extended to other oral health professionals. In particular, those practitioners whose resuscitation training levels have been increased from Level 3 to Level 4 – being dental hygienists, dental therapists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic auxiliaries.  

Furthermore, the Council will revisit the medical emergencies practice standard following the New Zealand Resuscitation Council updates to the resuscitation guidelines and the CORE Review – anticipated in April 2016.