REGISTRATION CATEGORY	EARLY 4/14	REGULAR	ONSITE 6/16
DENTIST - FDA/ADA MEMBER	$69	$79	$89
NON-MEMBER DENTIST	$79	$89	$99
HYGIENIST	$49	$59	$69
DENTAL STUDENT	$49	$59	$69

Description:

Dental professionals play an important role in establishing the overall health of patients. They know that dental care is essential for oral health, but that it can also impact the systemic health of patients. It is even true that individuals who floss and maintain good oral health live, on average, six years longer than those who do not! Further, patients are bombarded with headlines linking oral health, including oral bacteria and inflammation, with systemic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, adverse pregnancy outcomes, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, emerging research has shown an association between periodontal health and certain cancers, kidney disease, dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and depression, and even COVID-19 disease severity. Many of these connections are influenced by common inflammatory burdens, microbiome dysbiosis and its effects systemically, and the systemic effects of anti- and pro-oxidative forces in the body. This lecture will review the associations between periodontal diseases and systemic health, the mechanisms of these interactions and the impact of periodontal care on overall health and wellness.

Learning objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• discuss mechanisms of interaction of oral and systemic health and the influences of systemic health on oral healthcare delivery in a dental setting.
• implement screening and risk assessment strategies for patients in the dental practice related to common systemic disease.
• communicate and coordinate care with an interdisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes and strategies.
• understand the inflammatory and bacterial burden associated with oral disease and dysbiosis and implement strategies to mitigate that burden through optimal dental care.
• discuss the implications of oral diseases on systemic health and relay the critical importance of oral wellness on overall wellness to patients.