Sedation and Anaesthesia
All dentists and certified specialists administering minimal, moderate or deep sedation, or general anaesthesia must comply with CDSBC's standards or guidelines for that modality.
The sedation spectrum ranges from minimal sedation to general anaesthesia.
Patients can find out what level of sedation a dentist is registered to provide by searching them in our
Registrant Lookup and viewing the "Additional Details" tab. You can also see all the locations that provide deep sedation and general anaesthesia through our sedation facility map.
Keep up to date on sedation and GA news here>>
Minimal and moderate sedation
Minimal sedation is a minimally depressed level of consciousness in which the patient responds normally to tactile stimulation and verbal command. It is produced by a pharmacological method such as an oral sedative that you can take before a dental procedure. Moderate sedation is a drug-induced depression of consciousness during which patients respond purposefully to verbal commands, either alone or accompanied by light touch.
Deep sedation
Deep sedation is a drug-induced depression of consciousness during which patients cannot be easily aroused.
General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia (GA) is a drug-induced loss of consciousness during which patients are not arousable, even by painful stimulation.
Clarification on Basic Life Support Certification for Sedation Team
Further to our September 27 communication to registrants, clinical staff who are part of the sedation and/or general anaesthetic team are required to have current Basic Life Support (BLS) level certification
CDSBC's expectation is that clinical staff on the sedation team hold current BLS certification as defined by the course provider. It is up to the registrant to determine whether the course meets CDBSC's requirements (see below) and that your certification is valid.
We recognize that there is a broad range of BLS course content and the course offerings are not consistent among providers. To provide clarity, the College will accept any BLS course that is designed for healthcare professionals, and that:
- Includes bag-valve-mask training (airway management)
- Has a hands-on component (courses entirely online are not acceptable)
- Has a certification length of not longer than 24 months
Note that CPR Level C is not acceptable for sedation and/or general anaesthesia clinical staff.
If you are uncertain about the validity of your certification, we recommend contacting your training provider.
Please note that the related standards and guidance documents will be updated in the coming months to reflect all of these changes.
*Basic Life Support (BLS) level certification replaces the previous CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) requirement.
Questions? Contact Ruby Ma, Sedation Program Coordinator, at sedation@cdsbc.org
