Indiana Dental Continuing Education

In today’s aesthetically conscious world, more patients demand restorations that mimic the color and appearance of their natural teeth and therefore project an image of health and wellness. This basic-level course describes the evolution of aesthetic direct posterior restorative materials and their limitations and goes on to identify the characteristics, indications, and limitations of aesthetic indirect inlays and onlays. Through the use of clinical case reports, dental professionals learn the steps needed to properly execute aesthetic indirect inlays and onlays, thereby expanding their clinical armamentarium.

This basic-level course reviews the importance of metals for human health, identifies common harmful metals and their role in disease, and discusses hypersensitivity reactions, with particular regard to metal allergies in medical and dental patients. Corrosion is also discussed relative to its role in the hypersensitivity reactions experienced by dental patients. 

The purpose of this course is to familiarize the dental hygienist with the document Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. The 2016 CDC document, Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care will be introduced and discussed, and new information relevant to the practice of dental hygiene published by CDC since 2003 will be presented

This basic-level course describes the multifactorial nature of caries, the factors that affect caries risk, and the specific risk levels of individuals. The importance of saliva testing and the risks, alternatives, and benefits of using glass ionomers as dental sealants are also discussed. The learner will be introduced to different protocols in order to treat caries using the medical model.

Dental caries is a preventable disease that affects a majority of the population. The course identifies the factors that influence patient diet choices including food availability and convenience, parental influence, habit, cost, and media. Personalized patient care and education to decrease incidence of caries are discussed.

This basic-level course reviews commonly misused substances, discusses their origins, and details the physical effects they can produce. Special consideration is given to substances commonly available in the dental office and the medications dental professionals may administer and prescribe.

This intermediate-level course is intended to address this training deficit by providing dental healthcare professionals with an overview of the nature and scope of chronic pain, as well as basic skills for effective assessment and adjunctive treatments of chronic orofacial pain conditions and related problems. 

This intermediate-level course is intended to serve as both a review and an introduction to some of the more recent information and developments in complete denture fabrication. After completing this course, the practitioner will be better equipped to provide quality denture care in a less stressful and more cost-effective manner for both clinician and patient.

This basic-level course for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants will strengthen the dental team’s ability to identify common complications associated with oral surgery procedures and minimize, manage, and treat postoperative complications. 

Topics to be presented in this course include the epidemiology, prevention, general treatment considerations, and protocols for management of the full array of TDI. The sequelae of injuries to primary and permanent teeth are also addressed. This basic-level course is appropriate for dentists and for dental auxiliaries with some prior exposure to the treatment of TDI.

Coronavirus, caused by COVID-19, is a rapidly developing disease. As this disease continues to expand and engulf communities across the United States, it is critical that healthcare professionals become informed of the national standards of care provided by the Centers for Disease Control and other authorative agencies. The purpose of this course is to provide the latest standardized information that is known about the identification, care, and prevention of the disease. 

This basic-level course will help dental professionals gain a better understanding of dental ethics, professionalism, and current ethical challenges, with a particular emphasis on the impact of the digital age. A section of this course will address the ways that the law and ethics intersect. Through a systematic, case-based approach, this course will provide dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants with the tools to recognize and navigate the complex ethical issues that may arise in practice.

Dental implants are an established treatment modality in dentistry with a high rate of success and few complications. However, untoward events do occur despite careful treatment planning and meticulous execution of clinical procedures. Surgical complications that can occur include infection, bleeding, wound dehiscence, primary instability of the implant, neurosensory changes, and tissue emphysema. After the implant is osseointegrated, other complications may arise, including inflammatory peri-implant lesions. Such situations may be limited to inflammation of the peri-implant mucosa or, more significantly, involve the supporting bone. All these conditions increase the risk of poor outcomes, including implant loss. This intermediate-level course addresses complications associated with dental implants and reviews selective options for their management.

This intermediate-level course provides dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants with information on selected morbidities that are typical in children and adolescents, and aids clinicians in developing rational thought processes for gathering information from these patients and their caregivers. Equipped with that information, the dental team can develop appropriate dental treatment plans and continuing care regimens that best serve their pediatric patients with complex medical needs.

This basic-level course appropriate for dentists, hygienists and assistants, reviews the complications seen in the oral cavity associated with oral cancer therapies and how to help patients mitigate these complications. The course outlines changes seen in the skin, oral mucosa, teeth, bone, salivary glands, muscles of mastication, temporomandibular joint, tongue, taste buds, and sequelae such as neurotoxicity, pain, and oral infections. This information will help the practitioner provide up to date care for their patients undergoing oral cancer treatment.

This basic level course, appropriate for all dental professionals, outlines dental public health, its focus, infrastructure, and how the dental public health workforce strives to improve populations oral health.

This basic-level course reviews the biologic effects of radiation, the methods used in radiation measurement, and the potential sources of radiation exposure. This course discusses radiation safety and protection measures for both patients and dental healthcare workers. 

This basic-level course is designed for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants who wish to review the latest research and recommendations regarding the use of dental sealants. The course discusses the epidemiology of caries disease and the materials currently used in dental sealants.

This intermediate-level course outlines the dental professional’s role in helping their patients before, during, and after oral cancer therapy.

This basic-level course will highlight the unique environment within the correctional system and the challenges of providing dental care therein.

This basic-level course discusses the complexity of DUWL contamination and the importance of monitoring contamination levels. The methods used to control microbial growth and the limitations associated with current approaches are also explained. Participants learn how to judiciously choose a DUWL disinfectant best suited to their practice needs.

This basic-level course reviews the diverse colonization of microorganisms found on dentures and the associated oral and systemic health risks, the correlation between candidal infestation of dentures and denture-induced stomatitis, and the pros and cons of various denture cleansing methods.