Risk Assessment and Prevention of Medical Complications

CE Hours: 1.5

Description: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” (attributed to Benjamin Franklin circa 1700’S):

As average life expectancy in North America increases, so does the proportion of patients with chronic medical conditions and those taking prescription medications. Coordination of care between medical and dental providers may become easier in the future with the merger of medical and dental records into a common database but is often still a challenge today. What medical conditions and medications require medical consultation prior to treatment? This presentation will explore risk assessment to help determine which patients may require treatment modification to decrease the possibility of an adverse event during or after endodontic therapy and will focus on medical conditions that are most common and/or carry the greatest risk of an adverse event.

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe a risk assessment strategy for medically complex patients and know when to modify your standard treatment protocol and/or seek medical consultation prior to treatment.
• Discuss common drug:drug interactions and allergies relevant to endodontic practice.
• Explain appropriate treatment modifications for patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, kidney and liver disease, immunosuppression, history of bisphosphonate therapy, and prosthetic joint replacement.