Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice: First-Line Actions and Medico-Legal Issues

Why This Handbook?Volumes have been written on emergency medicine and there is no dearth of text bookson the subject. However, how many dentists, busy in their practices can handle medicalemergencies effectively and efficiently? Honest answer to this even by practicingphysicians may not surprise medical fraternity. And Dentistry is no exception to thisreality.Unfortunately, emergency medicine as a subject is yet to get its due place, recognitionand importance in the countries like ours caught in the web of huge infrastructureissues, inabilities to decide priorities and more importantly, the mind set.Until therefore our house is in order, we needed a lamp to show us a way out. Somethingpracticable and evidence based. Rather than a big fat encyclopedia in the bookshelfcollecting dust, we needed something which can be a constant companion be on thedesks of all dentists for handy reference. Some lifeline that can be vital in thosedisturbing, if not scary and critical moments to hold on to, like a friend in need throwingmuch needed lifebuoy to float until rescued.This Handbook makes no tall claims then aiming to this humble objective and appeals to the dental communities that need it.