More than you think! Before I became a "dental emergency preparedness guru" (LOL), I was a fighter pilot (and later, an airline pilot). As a professional pilot, I practiced multiple emergency responses while using checklists - under the watchful eye of an instructor pilot. THREE TIMES PER YEAR. Every year for 40+ years. (That's 120 formal, graded practice sessions with emergency checklists + all of the personal practice I put in on my own time.) Why. Because TOPGUN pilots realize they must act quickly and efficiently during emergencies; and, we know stress and anxiety affects recall and thus decision-making and ultimately can cause mission failure. We learned long ago about the benefit of cognitive aids when under stress. In over 40 years of flying, I never got into an airplane without my emergency checklists. They were a NO-GO item. No checklist, no go. Great dentists, like TOPGUN pilots, must act quickly and effectively during patient emergencies. That's why they use chair-side cognitive aids in the operatory that provide step-by-step guidance during crisis management. The most effective quick reference checklists contain standardized protocols and treatment algorithms to reduce recall errors, improve communication and teamwork and ultimately preserve the patient's life. The best checklists also accommodate all levels of training present on the dental team, from those in dental school, to assistants, to hygienists, to anesthesiology specialists. By following a clinically proven standardized protocol, great dentists are confident they are providing the best care possible to their patients. So, yes, I DO think great dentists and TOPGUN fighter pilots have something in common. Want to be a TOPGUN dentist? You can get the best quick reference checklists here. 24 emergency treatment algorithms for about $6 per checklist. Once you see all of the clinical expertise that went into creating these checklists, you'll realize $6 per checklist is a real bargain. Anyway - if you want to be the "best-of-the-best," confident that you and your team are ready for any medical emergency ...check out these checklists. They're TOPGUN good :-) P.S. There are lots of folks out there making an absolute MISTAKE thinking an emergency is never going to happen to them, and that if it did, they'd remember in the moment of truth what to do. As a TOPGUN pilot, I learned very quickly that my performance under stress always sinks to my level of training. It never MAGICALLY rises to the moment. Research says this is true. According to one study, 86% of dentists are not ready for the simple emergency of Syncope. Yes. 86%. Believe it or not, when a serious emergency happens, you are not going to remember what you learned in dental school. Seriously. If you haven't practiced an emergency response in 4 years, or 8 years, or 16 years, do you think your performance is going to be flawless in the moment of truth? Our quick reference checklists can help you with all the heavy lifting ...and the checklists are actually ...GOOD! And, INEXPENSIVE (just about $6 per checklist - and there are 24 checklists for each of the most common dental office emergencies.) Yours for the taking here :-) All the hard work is done for you. Seriously, about $6 per checklist and a few clicks buy you an incredible chair-side resource and peace of mind that you and your team have a ready cognitive aide during patient emergencies.
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