For more than three years, the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) has been working to update Washington state’s dental anesthesia rules. WSDA encourages members to review the proposed rules and submit questions or concerns via email or virtually at DQAC's March 10 business meeting.
For more than three years, the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) has been working to update Washington state’s dental anesthesia rules.
WSDA encourages members to review this document — which includes the proposed rules and a chart outlining what WSDA considers to be the larger pain points of the rules — and submit questions or concerns via email to DQAC Program Manager Amber Freeberg at amber.freeberg@doh.wa.gov. WSDA also encourages members to sign up to virtually attend DQAC's business meeting on March 10 at 10:00 AM.
Review Proposed Rules
A draft of the proposed rules will be presented to DQAC on March 10 for discussion and consideration, signaling the next step in the rulemaking process. While WSDA has been an active participant throughout the rulemaking process, several issues remain with the proposed rules, including the following:
- Current rule exempts offices that only administer topical and local anesthesia from having to keep an AED or defibrillator. However, under the proposed rules, “Whenever anesthetic agents of any kind are administered, the dentist and staff must have access to an AED or defibrillator.” This proposed requirement would also apply to offices that only administer topical anesthesia.
- Current rule requires that “When sedation of any level is to be administered, excluding minimal sedation by inhalation, presedation vitals… must be obtained and recorded, unless the cooperation of the patient or circumstances of the case will not allow it.” However, under the proposed rules, while whether to take vitals is left to provider discretion for patients ages 13 and younger and who are classified as an ASA I patient, vitals must be obtained any other time anesthesia is administered, including when only topical anesthesia is administered.
Additional proposed changes include, among other things, requiring dentists to obtain a pediatric sedation endorsement in order to provide moderate sedation with parenteral or enteral agents to pediatric patients, as well as requiring permitholders to perform a minimum of 12 emergency drill scenarios at least two times per year.
WSDA encourages members to review the proposed rules and the chart outlining what WSDA considers to be the larger pain points of the rules. Should you have questions or concerns with the proposed rules, please email DQAC Program Manager Amber Freeberg at amber.freeberg@doh.wa.gov or sign up to virtually attend DQAC's business meeting on March 10 at 10:00 AM.
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