Knowledge in the fields of neuroscience and cognitive science has advanced dramatically in recent years. This has profoundly transformed our understanding of human behavior, both in normal everyday activities and during acute crisis situations. Many unsubstantiated beliefs long taken for granted are now giving way to explanations grounded in solid scientific data.

This two-part book publication offers a unique exploration of the mechanisms that lead practitioners and their teams, when under stress, to behave inappropriately.

The first part sets out the scientific foundations of these stress-response behaviors, drawing on the discipline of Human and Organisational Factors (HOF). This discipline involves studying how people, technology, and systems interact to influence safety, efficiency, and performance, which is critical for reducing error and boosting safety culture. HOF shows how stress, cognitive overload, or loss of control impair judgment and are detrimental to communication and team performance. Protective measures against these risks are extensively described and applied to real-life scenarios. Numerous case studies provide a clear understanding of how this approach works.

The second part describes the main critical situations likely to arise in a dental practice, ranging from fires to medical emergencies, including the management of challenging patients. Here, scientific knowledge is translated into concrete tools that can be used to prevent, confront, and resolve destabilizing events.

Based on rigorous research that is relatively novel in the dental field, the book offers readers a fresh perspective on crisis management and team dynamics. It provides valuable tools to enhance the safety, reliability, and resilience of dental practices. The authors, with their wide variety of professional expertise, have proven knowledge and practical experience in the discipline of HOF and are actively involved in teaching and promoting it.

Contents
Understanding crisis situations in dental practices
Understanding brain mechanisms in crisis situations
• The basics of neuroscience applied to healthcare
• Cognitive biases and errors of judgment
• Identifying and managing crisis situations
• The notion of risk
• Stress
• The second victim: the psychological impact of medical errors

Crisis management in clinical practice
• No good care without good training
• Leadership: the role and benefits of appointing a “leader” in a crisis situation at the dental surgery
• Key tools for preventing and managing critical situations

Team dynamics for safety
• Teamwork or team performance in crisis situations
• Managing fatigue, dehydration, and noise
• Debriefing after a crisis: talk so as not to carry the burden alone
• Feedback: learning together for better care
• The “invisibles” in the service of safety
• Cognitive dissonance and the normalization of deviance in the medical environment
• Exercise: test your OHF knowledge by analyzing a serious undesirable event

Managing crisis situations in dental practices
Technical, logistical, and behavioral crisis situations
• Fire
• Power failure
• Failure of essential equipment
• Difficult patients
• Practical recommendations for crisis management training
• Training scenarios

Crisis situations related to medical emergencies
• The emergency kit
• Medical assessment
• Secure emergency calls

Interviews with: 
• Jean-Marc Mateo: Risk among canadair pilots
• Céline Merleau: Flight cabin attendant and CRM trainer
• Marie Pery: Streamlining medical assessments
• Andrei-Petru Paraschiv: Cognitive aids and training save lives

Co-Authors: Clément Babin • Véronique Delmas
Foreword by Matthieu Langlois (Former RAID chief medical officer)