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

When patients continue to have cavities, it can be highly discouraging despite improvements in their oral health. This can lead to the disruption of their oral health philosophy and create the belief that "cavities are normal for me" or even "I just have soft teeth."  We have the unique opportunity to identify a patient's specific risk and provide treatment recommendations accordingly. • Review how the pH of the mouth influences calculus formation and periodontal disease • Discover powerful communication skills to increase the patient's ownership of their current oral health • Evaluate pH testing for your office and how to implement it into a patient's preventive visits

Over the last ten years, there has been a focus on the oral and systemic health link. This course is designed to equip dental hygienists with the skills to implement a comprehensive approach to treating our patients while they are chairside. This course will review the risks assessments and clinical cases to provide a practical approach to implementing science-based literature in a manner that is both effective and feasible for the current demands in practices. Review Oral Pathologies that show evidence of systemic health issues. Identify when to refer the patient out for blood work. Discover proper risk assessments for enhanced preventive oral health Investigate the latest technologies to prevent and treat both hard and soft tissue disease.

When patients continue to have cavities, it can be highly discouraging despite improvements in their oral health. This can lead to the disruption of their oral health philosophy and create the belief that "cavities are normal for me" or even "I just have soft teeth."  We have the unique opportunity to identify a patient's specific risk and provide treatment recommendations accordingly. • Review how the pH of the mouth influences calculus formation and periodontal disease • Discover powerful communication skills to increase the patient's ownership of their current oral health • Evaluate pH testing for your office and how to implement it into a patient's preventive visits