Americans consume an average of 400 calories per day of added sugars in their diet from high-fructose corn syrup, table sugar, honey, and all other sweeteners with calories! Today’s sugar consumption has jumped 20% over the past 30 years with a correlating rise in obesity, and the domino effect continues with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, elevated triglyceride levels, liver disease and Type II diabetes. Soft drinks which are the greatest culprit of this growing “sugar obsession” are implicated in increased risk for dental caries and tooth erosion. This program gives a review of the literature related to sugar’s impact on overall health, but also provides good news for today’s clinician seeking methods to help reduce decay, remineralize tooth structure, and motivate patients to reclaim their health!

Program Format Note: This program is offered in both a Text based format (PDF) and an Audio Video Webinar format (Interactive).

Special Bundle Offer:
Buy "America’s Sweet Tooth Obsession and Its Impact on Oral and Systemic Health" and receive a 20% Discount on your choice of any 2 currently available ineedce 2 credit hour courses.

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The current approach to dental caries focuses on modifying and correcting factors to favor oral health. Caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA) is an evidence-based approach to preventing or treating dental caries at the earliest stages. Caries protective factors are biologic or therapeutic measures that can be used to prevent or arrest the pathologic challenges posed by the caries risk factors. Best practices dictate that once the clinician has identified the patient’s caries risk (low, moderate, high or extreme), a therapeutic and/or preventive plan should be implemented. Motivating patients to adhere to recommendations from their dental professionals is also an important aspect in achieving successful outcomes in caries management. Along with fluoride, new products are available to assist clinicians with noninvasive management strategies.

Dental implants are a well-accepted treatment for the replacement of missing teeth. An estimated two million implants are placed annually, and it can be anticipated that an increasing number of implants will be placed and need to be maintained in the coming years. The intraoral environment and overall health of an individual patient influence patient selection/ implant candidacy and the outcome of implant therapy. Factors affecting the intraoral environment include the patient’s heath status, medication use, level of oral hygiene, and habits such as smoking and drinking. Oral hygiene is an important determinant of implant success, as it is with the health of the natural dentition. Brushing and flossing are also critical success factors, requiring considerable patient education and motivation, and adjunctive therapy may be considered. With careful patient selection and patient commitment to oral hygiene measures, the potential for long-term success and implant health is excellent.

 Dentinal hypersensitivity is characterized by a short, sharp pain in response to stimuli. Dentinal hypersensitivity, which is more commonly seen in adults in the 20- to 40-year-old age group, has several etiological factors. Gingival recession and enamel loss both contribute to the prevalence of this condition, resulting in the exposure of dentin. Dentinal hypersensitivity is believed to occur due to the movement of fluid within the dentinal tubules occuring in response to thermal, chemical, tactile and evaporative stimuli, in accordance with Brännström’s Hydrodynamic Theory. Treatment options include in-office procedures and homeuse, self-applied products that are aimed at either occluding the dentinal tubules or preventing neural transmission and thereby blocking the pain response.

Patient noncompliance refers to nonadherence (or only partial adherence) to health-related behaviors and is a problem for medical care and dental care alike. Noncompliance affects outcomes across all disciplines, including restorative, periodontal and orthodontic care. Noncompliance may be the result of internal factors (the “self”) or external factors. Interventions that may help address these internal and external factors include patient communication and education, behavioral modification programs, psychological help and selected therapies. While behavioral interventions are helpful in improving compliance, it is also important to remove as many obstacles to patient care as possible, with the objective of improving compliance. Enhancing home care and treatment options is helpful for patient compliance.

Hand hygiene is important for the protection of patients and healthcare workers, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations in 2003 that specifically includes guidelines for hand hygiene in dental settings. Several options exist for hand hygiene prior to nonsurgical dental procedures, and the selected method may vary according to the level of contamination, the desired antimicrobial activity and the type of procedure. The most significant difference between hand hygiene for routine procedures and for surgical procedures is the need for persistent antimicrobial activity in products used for surgical hand antisepsis. Appropriate selection of products as well as appropriate hand care helps prevent adverse effects related to hand hygiene in the dental setting. Selecting the products that suit the types of procedures performed in a given practice, and the needs of the healthcare personnel in that practice are important considerations. It is likely that a combination of soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizer and lotions will be required to meet the needs of all individuals.

Throughout history, medicine and dentistry have continually evolved via advances in technology and research. Breakthroughs in science allow dental professionals the opportunity to practice in new and exciting directions. What if breakthrough research assessed the benefits of an oral care device beyond just the visual inspection of brushing outcomes? What if the use of a power toothbrush could change the composition of dental biofilm to benefit the patient’s oral health? Dental biofilms are one of the major contributing factors for both periodontal diseases and caries infections. Through emerging research, we now know not all dental biofilm is bad. Novel and compelling science from Philips Sonicare demonstrates the ability of Sonicare* to transition the biofilm composition from a pathogenic state towards a benign state and eventually to a beneficial state. These research findings could significantly impact self-care regimens and long-term oral health. New technologies in novel chairside diagnostic/assessment products will also be explored.

Program Format Note: This program is offered in both a Text based format (PDF) and an Audio Video Webinar format (Interactive).

Recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) and recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) are two of the common oral/peri-oral lesions experienced in the general population. Treatment options include over-the counter and prescription products.

The first major active ingredient introduced into modernday, over-the-counter dentifrices was fluoride. Since then, dentifrices have been developed with ingredients offering anti-plaque/anti-gingivitis, anti-halitosis, whitening or desensitizing benefits, or a multiplicity of benefits. Given the range of dentifrices currently available, and their differences, a recommendation is important; this should be based on the individual patient’s specific needs and desires and the scientific support for a dentifrice.

Periodontal disease and caries are two of the most common diseases known to man. Periodontal disease estimates are indicative of the large clinical need for periodontal therapy to improve oral health. Scaling and root planing is central in the treatment of periodontal disease. Nonetheless, acceptance of treatment of periodontal disease. Nonetheless, acceptance of treatment is impacted by patient phobias and fears. This results in patients not receiving treatment that will improve their oral health status, and impacts standard and quality of care as well as practice building. Pain management is key to address the patient's fears and/or needs. In choosing the appropriate pain management technique there are several considerations, including patient and clinician preferences, onset time, depth of anesthesia and duration. From a practice building perspective it is important to consider the time saved by appropriate pain management and by the technique used, and from a broader perspective the ability to retain and attract patients for both essential and elective procedures. Effective Pain Management Techniques contribute to a stable and growing patient base, and effective and productive treatment of these patients.

Periodontal disease is progressive and episodic in nature, with tissue destruction resulting from the host response to bacterial antigens and irritants. Risk factors encompass systemic influences, external influences, intrinsic factors and local factors. An individual patient’s responsiveness to treatment also depends on the host response and the presence of risk factors. Adjunctive systemic and/or local therapy can positively impact periodontal therapy. Considerations in determining which to select include clinical preference and efficacy.

The prevalence of periodontal disease and estimates of provided treatment are indicative of treatment needs. Current technology offers standardized probing, automated charting, risk assessment, differential diagnosis and suggested treatment plans, as well as enabling clinicians to involve patients in the process. Patient awareness and treatment acceptance can be encouraged with full evaluation, a consistent protocol and message, and through the use of technology.

Following the discovery that fluoride plays a role in the prevention of dental caries, professional topical fluorides were developed. Traditionally, fluoride gels and, later, fluoride foams were used in the US and Canada. More recently, fluoride varnishes were introduced first in Canada, and then in the US where they are cleared for use as desensitizing agents. The use of fluoride varnishes for caries prevention is ‘off-label’ in the US. A recent publication by the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs recommends the use of fluoride varnish or fluoride gel for professional topical fluoride treatments, with the choice depending on patient age and risk category. Due to insufficient evidence, foams are not recommended for professional topical fluoride treatment and there is no evidence to support rinses. Fluoride gel and varnish have both proven to be effective, with only varnish recommended in the under-6 age group. Evidence-based treatment requires that the clinician assess a patient’s risk level prior to treatment, which can be done with formal risk assessment tools such as CAries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) and the Caries Assessment Tool (CAT).

Dental plaque is a complex biofilm consisting of a polysaccharide matrix containing bacteria, voids and nonvital material of bacterial origin. Both cariogenic and periodontopathic bacteria reside in dental biofilm (plaque). While other factors must also be present for caries or periodontal disease to exist in a patient, without these bacteria neither bacterial disease will occur. The primary goal of toothbrushing is to remove the dental biofilm present on and adjacent to the teeth, thereby removing the bacteria associated with caries and periodontal disease; use of a dentifrice while brushing helps remove plaque and will also deliver agents to the tooth surface. Manual, powered and sonic brushes have all been shown to be effective and safe for the removal of plaque, when used appropriately. Selecting or recommending oral hygiene aids involves a number of considerations, including effectiveness, cleaning ability, ease of use and likely compliance.