CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 6

14 | 2018 | Issue 6 CDA at W ork Don't Miss Your Chance! I also take the patient’s temperature, blood pressure and heart rate. Generally, changes in heart rate and/or blood pressure are another indication of whether it’s appropriate to proceed with treatment. I tell the patient if they can come back and see me tomorrow, I’d be happy to treat them, provided they are not under the influence. In my 25 years of doing this, I’ve found that 98% of the time patients don’t want to take the risk of being treated while they are impaired. What if the patient doesn’t disclose their drug use? For many years, our patients have been using cannabis as an illegal substance but they didn’t disclose it to their health care providers. As soon as discussions started around legalization, patients started disclosing that they were using cannabis. However, there are some clients who don’t believe that marijuana is actually a drug. So they don’t feel the need to disclose and don’t think that complications could arise. I remind these patients that cannabis increases your blood pressure and can affect your respiratory care. What if a patient thinks they are being unfairly denied treatment? In my opinion, this is not a refusal to treat. You are agreeing to treat the person, but are providing the conditions in which you can do this safely. The other important aspect to consider is informed consent. If you are working with someone who is impaired, they are not necessarily in the right frame of mind to be able to consent to treatment. Ultimately, a decision to delay treatment is about ensuring patient safety. a Visit Oasis Discussions to hear Dr. Burry speak on this topic wp.me/p2Lv6A-5Yk Related Resource: Legalization of Marijuana: What Dentists Need to Know. CDA Essentials. 2017; 4(6): 29-32. cda-adc.ca/en/services/essentials/2017/issue6/29 2018 Reader Survey Complete our brief online survey and be eligible to win a $200 VISA gift card (1), $50 VISA gift card (3), or $20 Starbucks e-gift card (10). cda-adc.ca/readersurvey