Karen Baker, BS, R.Ph., MS: Advances in Dental Pharmacotherapy (5 CE Hours)

Presenter

Karen Baker, BS, R.Ph., MS

Course Description

The range of drug therapy options available to dental practitioners has greatly expanded over the past ten years. This expansion has opened the door to unprecedented therapeutic successes as well as disastrous drug misadventures. This course will update the dental team on recent developments in dental pharmacotherapy while providing strategies for prescribing to ensure therapeutic success. Drug therapy and alternative medicine reference sources will be listed and critiqued as to usefulness in daily practice. Clinically relevant information about effectiveness, adverse effects, patient specific drug selection criteria, dosing, and cost will be presented for therapeutic agents commonly used in dentistry. Systemic antibiotics, analgesics, and mucosal disease agents will be evaluated and discussed. Special attention will be given to certain controversial areas including antibiotic premedication of patient conditions not specified in the current AHA guidelines. Potentially dangerous drug interactions important in clinical dentistry will be listed and reviewed with emphasis on avoidance and patient management strategies. Extensive and current handouts will be provided to maximize the chairside value of this fast-paced and entertaining course.

Course Objectives

After attending this course and reviewing the handouts, the participant should be able to:

• Buy and easily use the best drug and alternative medicine references for dental practice,
• Choose the most cost effective antibiotic for a specific patient.
• Prescribe antibiotic premedication for certain patients with a variety of implants and conditions based on screening criteria and current evidence.
• Prescribe innovative topical and systemic therapies for both inflammatory and infectious mucositis patients.
• Choose an analgesic NSAID or COX-2 inhibitor based on relative adverse effects, drug interactions, efficacy for pain vs inflammation, and cost.
• Enhance the analgesic effects of opiod analgesics while minimizing their adverse effects.

AGD (5) Continuing Education Credits