Medical emergencies can occur at any time and any place, one of those place could be a dental setting. An increase in medical emergency cases due to comorbidities and a steady rise of the ageing population necessitates the dental team to be prepared for these emergencies. Dental hygienists are health care providers who work in various settings including hospitals, private dental clinics, public health clinics, nursing homes and schools. The scope of practice includes health promotion and disease prevention through the assessment of teeth and adjacent tissues, and treatment by therapeutic and preventive means.
A medical emergency workshop, conducted by the Section of Dentistry and Dr Dinaz Ghandhi, was arranged for the Aga Khan University's dental hygiene students to improve their skills and knowledge so that they can successfully manage medical emergencies in the dental clinics. Students were given scenarios requiring them to assess the emergency and implement appropriate life-saving protocols in simulated "real-life" situations using high-fidelity simulators. Students gained first-hand knowledge in the management of common emergencies including syncope, seizures, orthostatic hypotension, hypoglycaemia, anaphylactic shock and sudden cardiac arrest among others.
Dental hygienists play a significant role as prevention specialists and as members of the dental team. Having sound skills and knowledge in preventing these emergencies can mean the difference between life and death. The AKU Dental Hygiene Programme, housed within the Aga Khan University Hospital's Dental Consultant Clinic provides students with a unique opportunity to learn dental hygiene, dentistry, and specialty dentistry. Students learn the practice of dental hygiene and gain invaluable clinical expertise supported by rotations in oral surgery, oncology, periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, and restorative dentistry. Continual pre-clinical practices held in the Dental Simulation Lab located in the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education offer students personalised learning experiences allowing for exceptional interactive and hands-on mastery of clinical concepts.
Medical emergencies can occur at any time and any place, one of those place could be a dental setting. An increase in medical emergency cases due to comorbidities and a steady rise of the ageing population necessitates the dental team to be prepared for these emergencies. Dental hygienists are health care providers who work in various settings including hospitals, private dental clinics, public health clinics, nursing homes and schools. The scope of practice includes health promotion and disease prevention through the assessment of teeth and adjacent tissues, and treatment by therapeutic and preventive means.
A medical emergency workshop, conducted by the Section of Dentistry and Dr Dinaz Ghandhi, was arranged for the Aga Khan University's dental hygiene students to improve their skills and knowledge so that they can successfully manage medical emergencies in the dental clinics. Students were given scenarios requiring them to assess the emergency and implement appropriate life-saving protocols in simulated "real-life" situations using high-fidelity simulators. Students gained first-hand knowledge in the management of common emergencies including syncope, seizures, orthostatic hypotension, hypoglycaemia, anaphylactic shock and sudden cardiac arrest among others.
Dental hygienists play a significant role as prevention specialists and as members of the dental team. Having sound skills and knowledge in preventing these emergencies can mean the difference between life and death. The AKU Dental Hygiene Programme, housed within the Aga Khan University Hospital's Dental Consultant Clinic provides students with a unique opportunity to learn dental hygiene, dentistry, and specialty dentistry. Students learn the practice of dental hygiene and gain invaluable clinical expertise supported by rotations in oral surgery, oncology, periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, and restorative dentistry. Continual pre-clinical practices held in the Dental Simulation Lab located in the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education offer students personalised learning experiences allowing for exceptional interactive and hands-on mastery of clinical concepts.
