Ms. Amber Auger

Donuts, Diabetes, and Dentistry: The Vital Role of Dental Professionals

8 - 9:30 am

34.2 million Americans have Diabetes. Another 88 million Americans are considered Pre-Diabetic. As dental professionals, we play a vital role in the early detection of Diabetes. This course is designed to uplevel your practice's current Diabetes standards for treatment.

• Review Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes
• Identify what is contraindicated for dental treatment based on the patient's A1c levels
• Discover the risks of soft and hard tissue disease among Diabetic patients
• Investigate the latest technologies to prevent the progression of oral diseases both chairside and at home

Ms. Stephanie Botts

Protecting your Most Valuable Instrument: Your Body!

9:30 - 11 am

The dental profession is at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), with up to 96% of practitioners reporting pain due to clinical work habits. This is due to repetitive movements, bending, twisting, reaching, incorrect operator and patient positioning, and performing repetitive movements in a static posture. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the working environment to the practitioner, instead of forcing one's body to acclimate to the environment. Practicing proper ergonomics can increase productivity, decrease pain, and lengthen one's career. Allowing the individual to practice pain-free, ergonomics can increase the quality of one's life and work satisfaction. At the conclusion of this course, participants will learn ergonomic techniques, stretches and equipment choices to allow them to practice pain-free.

Lunch is on your own from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Ms. Jo-Anne   Jones

First on the Scene

12 - 1:30 pm

By definition a first responder is “a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene”. The dental hygienist is a ‘first responder’ to the oral cavity with our profession being optimally situated at the portal of entry and the gateway to systemic health. The oral-systemic link conceptually is not new, however the reduction of the burden of chronic inflammation has become a benchmark of healthcare delivery. Emerging research is signaling a strong reactionary link with the COVID pandemic and deterioration of oral health. Our actions and assessment as a critical stakeholder dictate treatment outcomes, and strongly influence both the quality and quantity of life of every client seated in our treatment room.
Course Objectives:

• Understand the biological pathways of periodontitis and the impact on systemic health
• Understand the role and influence of the dental hygienist in risk intervention strategies
• Discover how science and technology have influenced today’s oral care products
• Integrate educational resources into your dental hygiene practice and social media outreach

Ms. Rachel Wall

Surviving To Thriving: 3 Core Principles to Re-gain the Momentum and Mindset for a Thriving Hygiene Team

1:30 - 3 pm

So many dental teams have come out of the last few years weary, exhausted and unsure how to move forward. Discover core principles that can catapult hygiene teams from surviving to thriving for a great year and many years to come.

By attending this course, dentists and hygienists will be able to:

• Shift from a mindset that limits potential to one that empowers providers to deliver an elevated standard of care
• Incorporate updated information and verbal skills to improve patients' overall health and well-being
• Determine where the opportunity lies to take the hygiene-dentist collaboration to a new level

Dentists who build leaders and nurture a strong working relationship with their hygienists experience less stress, greater practice profits and higher patient satisfaction. This workshop-style program is designed for Dentists & Hygienists to attend together. We will highlight real-life examples of the trials and triumphs of this critical relationship and provide strategies to improve communication, clinical workflow and treatment outcomes. This course will provide skills to:

• Calibrate treatment philosophies to improve co-diagnosis
• Improve communication that builds the Dentist-Hygienist relationship resulting in better case acceptance
• Learn real-life strategies for improved collaboration and team communication

A clinically-skilled hygienist is essential to delivering high quality care. But what about the behind-the-scenes efforts of the dentist and team to support the delivery of that care? How do we implement new protocols and systems? We’ll take a look at real-life dental teams and the strategies they use to take service, systems, and profitability to the next level. This course offers take-home tips for EVERY member of the dental team to immediately increase hygiene profitability. Attendees will:

• Understand common, but no so obvious, obstacles to implementing new services and processes
• Utilize industry hygiene department benchmarks to determine opportunities for refining current clinical systems
• Realize breakthroughs are possible with teamwork and an open mind.

Dental teams are on the front lines of many life-saving screenings, yet incorporating these into a dental visit can feel overwhelming. In this hands-on course, attendees will have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with 5 critical screenings: Blood Pressure, Oral Cancer Screening, Airway Screening, Pathogen Screening and Medical History.

Review while learning the true impact these screenings have on patients' overall health and wellness.

Attendees will be able to:

• Feel comfortable performing these life-saving screenings
• Explain to patients the connection between their oral health and these screenings
• Triage which screenings are high priority and which can be discussed at future visits

Note: Attendees are encouraged to bring their loupes.