Are you recording medication histories that include resveratrol, curcumin, probiotics, gingko biloba, fish oil, elderberry, or milk thistle? Do your patients ask you to recommend only "natural" oral health products?  The resurgence of herbal medicine has produced confusion and conflict among health care providers and patients alike. Patients mistakenly equate the terms "natural" and "standardized" with safe and effective. Many patients have embraced nontraditional medicine as a way to become "co-therapists" in their disease state management. Dental professionals must avoid making negative generalizations about alternative therapies in order to stay involved in the therapeutic decision-making process.    During this program, we will discuss the herbal landscape which includes laws and regulations as well as the qualifications of naturopaths and herbalists. A list of reliable science-based references will be included to provide ongoing clinical support for rational decisions related to herbal products. The twenty most popular systemic herbs will be evaluated for dental impact including effect on bleeding, wound healing, intra-oral effects, and interactions with dental drugs. We will also take a detailed look at herbal products promoted for treatment of oral diseases including gingivitis, periodontitis, aphthous stomatitis, and herpes simplex gingivostomatitis. Agents such as Coenzyme Q-10, aloe vera, green tea extract, natural essential oils, melaleuca, and goldenseal will be critiqued for safety and effectiveness in the treatment of oral disease. Product-specific information including ingredients, manufacturer claims, and fluoride content will be provided along with product recommendations based on patient characteristics. We will conclude by discussing step-wise strategies for evaluating and managing patients taking herbal medications. A practical and detailed handout will be provided to allow participants to apply this information to their practice.

 

After attending this course and reviewing the accompanying handout, the participant should be able to:

Can charcoal whiten my teeth? Does it make any difference which fluoride toothpaste I use? Which “natural” mouth rinse reduces gum disease? How can I get some relief from this dry mouth and the bad breath that goes with it? Patients ask you questions about home use dental products more frequently than they ask about any other oral health subject. They need your professional guidance now more than ever in making the best choices based on their unique set of circumstances. Professor Baker will compare manufacturer claims and objective clinical data concerning chemotherapeutic products for gingivitis and calculus reduction. Toothpastes claiming everything from superior mineralization to “5 shades whiter” will be listed in detailed tables to be used as a chairside reference when questions arise. The safety and effectiveness of controversial ingredients/practices such as licorice lozenges, antioxidants, edathamil, oil pulling, melaleuca, and stabilized chlorine dioxide will be reviewed. Both OTC and prescription home use fluoride rinses will be rated based on relative caries and mineralization effects. New strategies for xerostomia including patient handouts will be provided.  An extensive and very current handout that will help you design optimal homecare regimens for specific patients accompanies this entertaining, yet comprehensive evaluation of homecare dental product information.       

 

After attending this course and reviewing the accompanying handout, the participant should be able to:

Speaker

Karen Baker, BS, MS, RPh, has been on the dental college faculty at the University of Iowa for 37 years and occupies a unique role in dental practice and education. She is a clinical pharmacist with a Master’s degree in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics and is focused on patient-specific dental drug therapy. She has given well over 1,000 invited programs nationally and internationally and holds memberships in many dental and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics organizations. Her dental education-based pharmacy and drug therapy consultation center is the only one in the United States. She has authored more than 50 articles and abstracts and lectures extensively in pre-doctoral and graduate courses at the University of Iowa.

Conflict of Interest

Our speaker has no proprietary, financial or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and or company that will be discussed on considered during this presentation. If they do, this has been noted in the promotional material and will be made available to participants at the start of the program.

The staff of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry have no relevant financial relationships to disclose pertaining to this course. Members of the CE planning committee have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  

Refund & Cancellation Policies

A full refund, less a $50 processing fee, will be issued for all cancellations received in writing two weeks prior to the course date. A 50% refund less a $50 processing fee will be given for cancellations received in writing one week prior to the course date, with no refund thereafter. Refunds cannot be given for cancellations on or after the course starting date. Registrants may choose to receive a full tuition credit toward another course taken within the academic year. 

UK College of Dentistry Continuing Education reserves the right to cancel or modify a course when circumstances warrant, including insufficient enrolment. Dates, faculty or course content will be changed only when unavoidable. If a course has been cancelled, participants will be notified and a refund will be issued. Continuing Dental Education cannot be responsible for non-refundable airfare or other expenses in the event of a course cancellation.    

ADA CERP Info

University of Kentucky College of Dentistry is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. UK College of Dentistry’s term of recognition is May 2017 through June 2019.  

ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at www.ada.org/goto/cerp.

The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry designates this activity for 6 hours of continuing education credits.  

Registration Options

Register online below or complete the paper application and forward by mail or fax to: University of Kentucky College of Dentistry Continuing Education, Dental Science Bldg., Lexington, KY 40536 / F: 859-257-0486 

Questions

Contact Pam Calvert, Program Coordinator, UK CE Office: 859-323-8187 or by email.