SEATTLE — A proposal in Olympia would make industry guidelines for deep sedation in dental clinics legally binding, a move supporters say could improve patient safety and prevent deaths, while opponents call it unnecessary and costly.
Senate Bill 6138, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, would require a “multi-provider system” whenever deep sedation is used in a dental office. Deep sedation is a state in which patients can breathe independently but are nearly unconscious.
Currently, dentists may administer deep sedation themselves if they have the proper training and permits. The bill would prohibit dentists from performing dental procedures while also managing sedation. Instead, a separate provider would be responsible solely for monitoring sedation.
“The bill defines a multi-provider system as a setup where the dentist performing the procedure and the person administering and monitoring sedation are two distinct individuals with separate tasks,” said Jacob Ewing, staff for the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee, during a public hearing.
Kevin Van De Wege of the Washington Association of Nurse Anesthesiology supported the proposal. He said, “Providing deep sedation while performing the procedure is unheard of in surgical wards, yet it’s commonly done in dental offices across the state. It increases liability and endangers patients.”
Sen. Holy said the bill was motivated by a concerning pattern of deaths. “In two and a half years, three people have died from something in a dentist’s office that was not a life-threatening surgery. That gives me pause,” he said, noting that one death in his district was linked to a wisdom tooth procedure.
During the January 23 public hearing, lawmakers requested data on deaths related to dental sedation, but no comprehensive figures were available.
Opponents, including organizations representing oral surgeons and dentists, argued that current regulations are sufficient. “The existing dental anesthesia regulations already require a multi-provider team of three health care providers for deep sedation or general anesthesia,” said Beirne, a spokesperson for the dental community.
Dr. Abhishake Banda of the Washington State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery testified that the bill could disrupt an already safe system. “Deaths in oral surgery offices are exceedingly rare, and literature shows fatality rates lower than industry standards,” Banda said.
Opponents also warned that the bill could increase costs and create delays in care, while supporters emphasized that the law would clarify an important gap in patient safety.