Friday, 14 May

Periodontal-Systemic Connections:
The Importance of Maintaining Oral Health for Young Adults and for the Aging Population
Dr. Anthony Iacopino

Periodontitis has been traditionally regarded as a chronic inflammatory oral infection.  However, recent studies indicate that this oral disease may have profound effects on systemic health.

The first section of the program will highlight recent evidence that links periodontal disease to various systemic diseases and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, arthritis, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and preterm birth.

The second section will use Diabetes, currently the most common chronic disease in America, as an example of a potential reciprocal relationship based on periodontitis-induced changes in systemic biochemistry and physiology.  This section will conclude by covering recent approaches to interdisciplinary patient management, current trends in insurance industry reimbursement for preventive care, and potential performance improvement measures for comprehensive care.

The third section of the program will provide a brief overview of aging and demographic issues related to various aspects of dental care.  This section will also provide an overview of the relationship between oral health and diet/nutrition in the elderly.  The fourth section of the program will provide a broad overview of the most common clinical findings and pathologic conditions in elderly patients.  Discussion will include unique concerns of the elderly regarding prevention of oral disease and interdisciplinary patient management in various health care settings. 

Saturday, 15 May

Safe Sedation Practices in the Dental Office
Joel Weaver II,DDS, PhD

Dr. Weaver is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University where he was director of pharmacology and anesthesiology for more than 30 years.  He is currently editor of the journal, Anesthesia Progress, president of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists, and the ADA’s Media Spokesperson for Anesthesiology.

How do the new ADA sedation guidelines affect your sedation practice?  What sedation drugs and techniques are safe for the average dentist to provide in the dental office?  What are the benefits and risks of sedation?  Is oral sedation safe or is intravenous sedation better?  These questions and many more will be answered in this course.
The participant will be able to:

• Explain the ADA’s definitions of minimal sedation, moderate sedation, deep sedation and general anesthesia as found in the ADA’s 2007 teaching and practice guidelines for dentists

• Evaluate the medical fitness of individual patients to undergo sedation for dental procedures in order to improve the margin of safety

• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the inhalation, enteral and parenteral routes of administration of sedation drugs including differences in their absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion • Identify the most popular sedation techniques and drugs for office sedation to maximize the benefits of sedation and minimize the risks

• Prevent and manage adverse effects related to sedation, including safeguards to prevent local anesthetic overdose