Serious professional misconduct arising out of dental anaesthesia and sedation

This paper reviews three recent decisions of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on appeal from decisions of the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Dental Council, in which questions of general anaesthesia, sedation and resuscitation were raised. The recommendations of the Poswillo Report on general anaesthesia, sedation and resuscitation in dentistry of March 1990 are considered with respect to these three cases, and an assessment made as to whether or not the incidents which gave rise to them would have occurred had the recommendations been implemented. The implications of the Poswillo Report for the maintenance of professional standards of conduct by the General Dental Council in relation to the use of general anaesthesia, sedation and resuscitation are discussed