A survey on the safety of anesthesia management provided by dental anesthesiologists in Japan: a 5-year survey by the Japanese Dental Society of Anesthesiology

Objectives: The Japanese Dental Society of Anesthesiology (JDSA) has conducted a survey on the safety of anesthetic practice provided by dental anesthesiologists. This report includes information on the incidence of life-threating events, which is necessary for evaluating the safety of dental anesthesia.

Material and methods: This study was designed as a retrospective observational questionnaire-based survey. All 32 JDSA accredited training facilities participated in this study. The accredited facilities were requested to provide annual data on basic demographic information concerning anesthetic management during the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018, inclusive. Details regarding life-threatening events were also requested.

Results: During the survey period between 2014 and 2018, a total of 219,343 cases of anesthetic management (80,138 cases of general anesthesia, 127,819 cases of sedation, and 11,386 cases of monitoring) were reported by the 32 JDSA accredited training facilities. The overall incidence of life-threatening events occurring during clinical dental anesthesia was 2.14/10,000, while the incidence of anesthesia-related events was 0.96/10,000. No deaths arising from anesthesia-related events occurred.

Conclusions: This is the first survey on clinical outcomes of dental anesthesia to be conducted. The survey results provide evidence supporting the safety of anesthetic management as performed by dental anesthesiologists.

Clinical relevance: The results of this study will provide a basis for benchmarking the safety of dental anesthesia not only in Japan, but also around the world.