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Dental Treatment: Deaths Associated With Anaesthesia

Volume 611: debated on Wednesday 29 March 2000

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asked Her Majesty's Government:How many deaths were associated with an anaesthetic for a dental procedure in each year from 1970; and how many of those deaths in each year were associated with:

  • (a) a dental practitioner working alone;
  • (b) two dental practitioners working together;
  • (c) a dental practitioner and an anaesthetist;
  • (d) a dental practitioner and a general medical practitioner [HL1668]
  • The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health
    (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)

    Information is not available to answer (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the noble Lord's question before 1991 and data since then are not complete, as this information is not routinely collected. There were three deaths in 1999 which have been associated with general anaesthesia for dental treatment. However, inquests into these cases have yet to be held and in one case legal proceedings are pending.Our records show that there have been the following numbers of deaths associated with general anaesthesia for dental treatment since 1970:

    YearNumber
    19709
    197112
    19729
    19737
    197413
    19755
    19769
    19778
    19788
    19799
    19805
    19814
    19827
    19835
    19843
    19854
    19864
    19873
    19881
    19893
    19902
    19911
    19926
    19931
    19940
    19950
    1996
    19971
    19983
    19993

    For the years from 1991 the incomplete information we have shows that deaths were associated with:

    Dental practitioner alone

    Two dental practitioners

    Dental practitioner and an anaesthetist

    Dental practitioner and a general medical practitioner

    19911
    199213
    19931
    1994
    1995
    19962
    19971
    199812