How will a practitioner know if a person is under the influence of street drugs? What are some characteristics of adolescent substance abuse and what do you do about it? The dental team is in a unique position providing dental care to a patient population that may be regular users or experimenting with mood-altering drugs. This presentation will help to identify and manage the substance-abusing patient. Discussion includes newer ways for abusing prescription and illicit drugs that might impact your dental treatment.

Generic medications represent 90% of all prescriptions. Are they equivalent to brand-name medications? What is a biosimilar? Why are monoclonal antibodies so expensive? Do any of these medications impact my patient’s dental treatment? We will examine the indications, contraindications and side effects of the most commonly prescribed medications as familiarity with these drugs will provide you with a better appreciation for the health profile of today’s dental patient and help you to avoid liability.

For centuries opioids have been used to control pain and suffering, but at what cost to us and our families? What are our alternatives for controlling post-operative pain? This program will discuss the addictive nature, abuse and proper prescribing of opioids in a dental practice. At the conclusion of this course, the attendees will know how to combine analgesics to maximize post-operative pain control.

Note: This course helps to fulfill the Georgia Board of Dentistry CE requirement.

For centuries opioids have been used to control pain and suffering, but at what cost to us and our families? What are our alternatives for controlling post-operative pain? This program will discuss the addictive nature, abuse and proper prescribing of opioids in a dental practice. At the conclusion of this course, the attendees will know how to combine analgesics to maximize post-operative pain control.

Note: This course helps to fulfill the Georgia Board of Dentistry CE requirement.