1. A sequence you can remember when your hands shake

This course

1 hour of verifiable CPD. Foundation and PLVE dentist set. No lock between modules. GDC Development Outcomes A, C and D. Related: Medical Emergencies, Human Factors, Sharps Injuries, Working as a Foundation Dentist.

Suggested study time

• The sequence — 18 min
• Common complications — 20 min
• Talking and writing afterwards — 17 min
• Knowledge check — 5 min

Complications are expected

Roots fracture. Anaesthetic fails. People bleed. The professional difference is whether you notice early, stop, and get help — or keep cutting because you are embarrassed.

Stop

Put the handpiece down. Dry the field enough to see. Tell the nurse what you need (suction, gauze, supervisor, emergency kit). Do not add a second irreversible problem while you panic about the first.

ABC and the medical picture

If the patient is unwell — pale, breathless, swelling of the floor of mouth, chest pain, anaphylaxis — this is Medical Emergencies, not a restorative tutorial. Oxygen, help, 999 as per current training. Do not diagnose “anxiety” to avoid calling an ambulance.

Local control, then help

Pressure for bleeding. Do not chase a root into a space you cannot see. Call your educational supervisor or the arranged cover while the patient is still in the chair if you can. A voicemail after they have gone home is a weaker plan.

You are allowed to look things up after you have made them safe

Protocols exist. The emergency folder should be in the room, not in a locked office. Foundation year is not a memory contest.