Patients are living longer, and they have gotten smarter when it comes to dental treatment. Seniors are seeking more advanced dentistry, and as a result, they have become a very large part of dental practice. There is no getting around this fact, if you practice dentistry, you will treat senior patients.
Advancements in medical/surgical treatment and pharmaceuticals have resulted in more patients with significant medical histories and extensive medication lists. Within America’s population are millions of individuals with systemic medical conditions (potential Red Flags). The dental management of these medically compromised patients can be an issue dependent on what disease(s) they may have and their overall health. Can they safely have dental treatment in my office?
This program focuses on several medically compromised disease states that dentists might encounter in daily practice that necessitate extra knowledge and care to prevent potential complications causing otherwise unnecessary morbidity and mortality. These include diabetes, multiple drug interactions, cardiac abnormalities, liver disease, kidney disease, just to name a few.
We will also look at what emergency drugs should we use if a medically compromised patient has a medical emergency in your office. What emergency medications do you need in your office?
The first step in managing the patient with extensive medical problems is acquiring a thorough health history; the second step is for the dentist to fully understand the significance of the disease that the patient may have. Each identified medical condition could affect dental treatment in a unique way. For example, due to this patient’s medical condition, can you safely use local anesthetic with vasoconstrictor? The dentist needs to understand the potential complications that can occur because of dental treatment of the medically compromised patient. Knowing the Red Flags will assist the dentist and their team Before treatment is rendered on these patients.
After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Evaluate and document a comprehensive medical history to identify potential health risks in dental patients.
- Conduct a thorough risk assessment to determine the patient’s medical risk during dental treatment.
- Determine whether it is safe to proceed with treatment based on the patient’s medical status and history.
- Perform a basic physical examination to detect signs of systemic conditions that may affect dental care.
- Develop and implement an effective emergency response plan tailored to the dental office setting.
- Describe the foundational principles of medical emergency management in dental practice.
- Recognize and manage medically compromised disease states commonly encountered in dental patients.
- Identify and explain the use of the “Core 7” emergency drugs essential in a dental emergency kit.
- Establish and maintain an automatic renewal system to prevent emergency drugs from expiring.
- Ask and interpret key patient questions before treatment to ensure patient safety and preparedness.
