“We Can Do Better Than The White-Knuckle Technique!” - Pharmacology of Oral Sedatives

Credit Details
This electronically delivered self-instructional program is designated for 2.25 hours of ADA CERP CE credit by Farran Media.

The fee to view the entire series is $336. This cost includes all fees to take all exams and claim your CE credits.

Synopsis:
Providing dental care to anxious and fearful patients continues to be a major challenge facing dentists. Despite advances in management techniques and treatment delivery, patients’ preexisting opinions and experiences contribute to dental anxiety and fear. Feelings of apprehension create psychological obstacles that prevent dental patients from seeking and receiving care. Of the current techniques to facilitate coping or to minimize procedure apprehension, in-office enteral sedation or oral conscious sedation has garnered the most attention.

Dental fear is a learned response. Family, friends, and popular media can influence patients’ attitudes toward dentistry; this attitude manifests in a cycle of fear that is characterized by avoidance of care and dental pathology. Dentists have used numerous techniques to improve patient comfort during treatment, employing distraction techniques, calming dialogue, and positive reinforcement to manage anxious patients who otherwise would use the “white-knuckle” technique.

In recent years, the use of oral benzodiazepines such as triazolam and lorazepam (with or without nitrous oxide) for the diminution of perioperative anxiety and fear in dental patients has increased. State dental boards, in response, have changed or developed new regulations outlining the training and equipment needed for inoffice adult minimal sedation. Although state regulations for the provision of inoffice adult minimal sedation vary widely with respect to training and pharmacological strategies, consonance exists on the use of inherently safe drugs, the use of pulse oximetry, and the availability of emergency equipment including pharmacologic antagonists.

This dynamic lecture will cover both the science and art of oral conscious sedation in an interactive and engaging multimedia presentation. The pharmacological basis of therapeutics will be addressed, taking the principles of academia into the realm of clinical practice. Treatment strategies and protocols will be discussed in a comprehensive, case-based approach.

Educational Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Discuss the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
• Understand the concept of bioavailability and half-life.
• Describe the continuum of consciousness.
• List the characteristics of the ideal sedative for in-office use.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of inoffice adult minimal sedation versus other modalities.
• Describe the mechanism of action and pharmacological properties of the benzodiazepine family of medications.
• Match the right drug at the right dose to the right patient and the right procedure.

Description of Speaker:
Dr. Donaldson received his baccalaureate degree from the University of British Columbia and his Doctorate in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Washington. He completed a residency at Vancouver General Hospital, and has practiced as a clinical pharmacy specialist, clinical coordinator and director of pharmacy services at many healthcare organizations in both Canada and the United States. He is currently Associate Principal of Clinical Pharmacy for Vizient’s Advisory Solutions, and lives in Whitefish, Montana. Dr. Donaldson is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Montana, Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Dentistry at the OHSU, and affiliate faculty in Dentistry at UBC. He has lectured internationally to both dental and medical practitioners and has spent the last 26 years focusing on dental pharmacology and dental therapeutics, and is a leader in the field. Dr. Donaldson has published numerous peer-reviewed works and textbook chapters. He serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Dental Association, and is a reviewer for over ten other different journals. He is board certified in healthcare management and is the Past-President and Regent of the American College of Healthcare Executives’ Montana Chapter. Dr. Donaldson is the 2016 recipient of the AGD’s Dr. Thaddeus V. Weclew Award and in 2019 he was conferred by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) with the, “Special Friend of Canadian Dentistry Award.” This award is given to an individual outside of the dental profession in appreciation for exemplary support or service to the profession as a whole.

Disclosure:
In the past 12 months, the lecturer/speaker declare that they have had a financial interest, arrangement or affiliation within the field of dentistry or health care with the following: School of Dentistry at the OHSU, University of Washington, University of British Columbia, University of Montana.

Legal Disclaimer:
The CE provider (Farran Media) uses reasonable care in selecting and providing content that is accurate. The CE provider, however, does not independently verify the content or materials. The CE provider does not represent that the instructional materials are error-free or that the content or materials are comprehensive. Any opinions expressed in the materials are those of the author of the materials and not the CE provider. Completing one or more continuing education courses does not provide sufficient information to qualify the participant as an expert in the field related to the course topic or in any specific technique or procedure. The instructional materials are intended to supplement, but are not a substitute for, the knowledge, expertise, skill and judgment of a trained health care professional.

Licensure:
Continuing education credits issued for completion of online CE courses may not apply toward license renewal in all licensing jurisdictions. It is the responsibility of each registrant to verify the CE requirements of his/her licensing or regulatory agency.

State CE Requirements:
Click Here for CE requirements by state. Please note that this information is current as of the time of listing. This information is subject to change at any time from the state boards. For the most up-to-date information, please contact your state board directly.

Refund Policy
There are no refunds for Online CE courses. Please contact technical support if you run into technical difficulty.

CE Contact
For any questions, please contact Nareg Apelian, DMD, Director of Continuing Education at nareg@farranmedia.com