EHS Today
  • Magazine Subscription
  • ENewsletters
  • EHS Education
  • Safety Leadership Conference
  • America's Safest Companies
    • Search
  • EHS Today Intelligence
  • Safety
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Standards
  • Safety Technology
  • Training & Engagement
  • Leadership
  • Topics
    EHS IntelligenceEnvironmentHealthSafetyLeadershipStandardsConstructionPPESafety TechnologyTraining & EngagementEmergency ManagementCOVID-19 CrisisIndustrial Hygiene
    Resources
    Member BenefitsSafety Leadership ConferenceEHS EducationAmerica's Safest Companies AwardsWebinarsWhite PapersWorkplace Safety AcademyMagazine SubscriptioneNewsletter SubscriptionLatest HeadlinesContact UsAdvertisePress ReleasesPrivacy & Cookie PolicyTerms of Service
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    Blog Ehstoday Com Out Loud Blog Wp Content Uploads 2010 08 Flydent thumbnail
    1. EHS OutLoud Blog

    Should Dentists Take Safety Advice from Pilots?

    Aug. 27, 2010
    What in the world do pilots have in common with dentists? Well, according to a dental professor at the University of Michigan and two pilot-dentists (there’s a new phrase for you), if dental office staff implemented a similar checklist of safety ...
    Laura Walter Blog
    Blog Ehstoday Com Out Loud Blog Wp Content Uploads 2010 08 Flydent thumbnail
    What in the world do pilots have in common with dentists? Well, according to a dental professor at the University of Michigan and two pilot-dentists (there’s a new phrase for you), if dental office staff implemented a similar checklist of safety procedures used by airlines, they could drastically reduce human errors.

    Pilots and dentists both engage in highly technical work that requires teamwork. And both are subject to human error where small, individual mistakes may lead to catastrophe if not addressed early. That means that dentists might benefit if they used the same type of safety procedures that pilots currently use.

    Russell Taichman, U-M dentistry professor and director of the Scholars Program in Dental Leadership; Harold Pinsky, a full-time airline pilot and practicing general dentist; and David Sarment, a pilot and former U-M dental faculty member coauthored a study that focused on adapting airline crew resource management (CRM) principles to dentistry.

    According to the researchers, airlines implemented CRM about 30 years ago after recognizing that most accidents resulted from human error. While implementing similar CRM checklists in the dentist’s office might represent a major culture shift that will be slow to catch on, the researchers think it could help – and that it's inevitable.

    "It's about communication," Pinsky said. “If I'm doing a restoration and my assistant sees saliva leaking, in the old days the assistant would think to themselves, ‘The doctor is king, he or she must know what's going on.'" But if all team members have a CRM checklist, the assistant is empowered to tell the doctor if there is a problem.

    At each of the five stages of the dental visit, the dental team using a CRM system would be responsible for checking safety items off a codified list before proceeding. Pinsky said that while he expects each checklist to look different for each office, the important thing is to have the standards in place.

    Studies show that CRM works, the researchers added. Six government studies of airlines using CRM suggest safety improvements as high as 46 percent. Another study involving six large corporate and military entities showed accidents decreased between 36 and 81 percent after implementing CRM. In surgical settings, use of checklists has reduced complications and deaths by 36 percent.

    Many other industries, such as hospitals, emergency rooms and nuclear plants look to the airline industry to help craft CRM programs. Dentistry, however, hasn't adopted CRM. Sarment pointed out that in his practice, “Using checklists makes for a safer, more standardized routine of dental surgery.”

    This study will appear in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

    Continue Reading

    Workplace Flexibility Associated with Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

    SLC 2023 Preview: Safety Management vs. Safety Leadership

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Is Your Safety Program Effective? 10 Questions Every Safety Leader Should Ask

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Purposeful Presence: How Leaders Show Up to Amp Up Performance

    Nov. 7, 2023

    The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Autopsy of an Injury Uncovering 18 Million Exposures in One Activity

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    Most Read

    So You Think You Know a Lot about OSHA? (Quiz)

    OSHA Forms Alliance to Better Protect Crane Operators

    Ohio Train Derailment: What Went Wrong?


    Sponsored

    A Framework for Managing Human Factors

    Medical Cannabis Laws: What Do They Mean for Workplace Safety?

    Six Leadership Skills For Improving Safety Climate

    EHS Today
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo