Dentistry is out of the Box and on the MOVE!
The face of dentistry is constantly changing and evolving. Attendees of the 2020 Annual Meeting will have a front seat to the future of dentistry in this lecture. This presentation is led by Sonya Dunbar, RDH,BSDH, of Mobile Dental Xpress, who is colloquially known as the “Geriatric Tooth-fairy.” Dentistry is a lot like the iPhone in that it is always changing and has many new applications. Over the last decade dentistry has had to come out of the OP somewhat, and begin to provide dental care in many unconventional places. This is due in part to the increase in baby boomers, longer lifespans, and an increase in poverty. The dental profession must go into nursing homes to provide care. Dentists have had to set up clinics in schools to reach low income children, and have gone as far to setup a makeshift clinic in the subway station in New York city for the homeless.

Yes, dentistry is out of the box!
Can Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment use Dental Related Medications as Instructed?
The best practitioners are constantly looking to expand their knowledge base of patient care. Attendees of the 2020 Annual Meeting will have the chance to do just that by attending this presentation. This lecture will be led by Jirakate Madiloggovit, DDS, of the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa. Mishandling medications is commonly seen in persons with dementia, especially those with inadequate caregiver support. This can lead to serious complications. Although prescription drugs (e.g., analgesics, antibiotics and antimicrobic rinses) are routinely prescribed to dental patients with dementia, whether these individuals can handle dental-related medication as instructed remains unknown, raising a liability concern for dentists who fail to recognize the patients at risk for mishandling their medications. To address this concern, we conducted a cross-sectional study to describe the ability to handle dental related medications in persons with various cognitive function and examine the type and level of assistance they need to accomplish these tasks.

Participants can attend these presentations on Friday, April 3rd.