PennWell and OnlineOralSurgery have partnered to bring you the first program of Practical Oral Surgery for the Practicing Dentist. We begin with “Basics of Oral Surgery”, which covers some fundamental concepts involving the surgical removal of erupted teeth. In dental school, there is time to teach only very simple exodontia. Many dentists are faced daily with patients who need more advanced surgical treatment, yet do not have the option of sending their patient to the oral surgeon. They must treat the patient in their own practices, even though they do not feel totally qualified to do so. This course consists of five modules that cover topics that will help the course participant improve their competence and confidence when performing basic oral surgery procedures.

Appropriate infection control in the dental office setting is essential to prevent the transmission of diseases. In California, the regulations on minimum infection control are administered by the California Dental Board. This course will address the potential routes of transmission for pathogens, the chain of infection and how this can be broken. Personal protective equipment, immunizations, instrument processing, and the treatment of clinical contact and housekeeping surfaces are discussed, as well as the treatment of sharps, dental unit water lines and impressions.

This course is intended to provide the dental clinician with an overview of the considerations and steps involved in determining the requirement for site preservation prior to implant placement. Topics discussed include socket and site assessment for bone grafting, ridge preservation, site preservation based on site morphology, and the advantages and disadvantages of bone grafting prior to implant placement. The target audience for this course is dental clinicians.