Legal Awareness and Knowledge Levels of Dentists Regarding Medical Emergencies: Analysis of Practitioners’ Opinions
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to evaluate dentists’ knowledge and self-efficacy regarding the recognition and management of medical emergencies that may occur during dental treatment. In addition, dentists’ awareness of legal responsibilities and their views on the adequacy of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula were examined.Methods: An analytical, observational, cross-sectional survey study was conducted. Data were collected online via Google Forms using a 22-item questionnaire developed by the investigators and distributed through a snowball sampling method. Descriptive statistics were used, and associations were analyzed using the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Monte Carlo simulations. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05.Results: Most participants (94 %) reported frequent use of dental anesthesia, and 37.1 % had performed procedures under sedation or general anesthesia. However, 74.2 % stated that they would be unable to manage serious complications related to local anesthesia, 60.1 % felt insufficient in managing acute medical emergencies, and 87.3 % reported limited awareness of their intervention authority. Although awareness that sedation and general anesthesia should be performed in authorized centers was high, knowledge gaps regarding office-based restrictions were identified. Nearly all participants indicated a need for enhanced legal awareness, complication management, and life support training within dental curricula.Conclusion: Dentists demonstrate insufficient knowledge and self-efficacy in medical emergency recognition and management, along with limited awareness of legal responsibilities and scope-of-practice limits. These findings emphasize the need for structured, practice-oriented educational programs, curriculum enhancement, and legal awareness training to improve patient safety.Key Words: Dental treatment, Legal awareness, Medical emergencies