Sir, P. Manek's letter (AED value; BDJ 2011; 210: 501) makes interesting reading and his points concerning good quality CPR training and prevention programmes are well made. I would, however, question his reasoning with reference to dentists having AEDs in their practices. While his estimation of the likelihood of use of an AED in his practice is interesting and apparently sound it rather misses the point. We should not consider each individual dental practice in isolation. If defibrillators are widely available in medical and dental surgeries, health centres, chemists etc and in non-health based locations such as stations, car parks, shopping centres and the like, should any one of us suffer sudden cardiac arrest the likelihood that a defibrillator is readily available allowing rapid defibrillation is greatly increased. Statistically there is something like a 10% reduction in the chances of successful defibrillation for every minute of delay following the arrest.

As healthcare providers and responsible members of the community we should see the deployment of an AED in our dental practice as a measure not just for our patients but as a resource for our local community. Members of the public (not just our own patients) should be able to rely upon any healthcare premises having an AED available in the event that it is needed. It will still be true that most AEDs will never be used other than in training. Looking at it from a different point of view, however, the more AEDs that are deployed the greater will be the chances of early defibrillation being implemented in a cardiac arrest.

I would draw your readers' attention to the Automatic External Defibrillators for Dentist Practices in Walsall – see http://www.walsall.nhs.uk/communications/news/dentistsdefib.asp.