Medication Use in Dentistry
Course #55254 - $45 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Medications administered or prescribed by dentists before, during, and after dental treatment have varied functions for the well-being of the patient. This course will highlight the most commonly utilized medications in dental practice. Indications for use, side effects, and interactions with other medications will be discussed for each medication. Contraindications and considerations for patients with special issues such as renal impairment, hepatic impairment, or advanced age will also be discussed. Of course, this course is not a substitute for the clinical judgment and discretion that each practitioner must use in prescribing and administering these medications to patients on an individual basis.
This course is designed for all dental professionals.
As the number of medications and range of uses grow, dental prescribing has become increasingly complex. The purpose of this course is to provide dental professionals with the knowledge necessary to effectively prescribe and to monitor the effects of commonly used drugs.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Outline the various types of local anesthetics used in dentistry.
- Evaluate the appropriate uses of analgesics for dental pain.
- List antibiotics and antifungal medications that may be used to prevent or treat dental infections.
- Discuss the role of antiviral medications in dental practice.
- Describe the effective use of anxiolytic medications in easing dental patient anxiety and fear.
- Identify special populations for whom prescribing practices may need to be adjusted.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD, received his dental degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1985. He received fellowship from the Academy of General Dentistry in 1994.
Contributing faculty, Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.