COMF 730 Pharmacotherapeutics in Clinical Dentistry
Instruction in Pharmacotherapeutics in management of dental patients is obtained through a one-week course during the first year of the 2-year residency program and clinical instruction in the Oral Surgery Rotations, Periodontics clinic, and others as necessary for pain/anxiety management. Prior to the 1-week course, the residents complete Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) as a basic requirement to administer sedation to help prepare for managing medical emergencies. Lecture topics encompass a broad spectrum of subjects including pain control, pharmacology of intravenous sedation, anesthesia treatment planning and monitoring, reversal agents, local anesthetics, and anxiety control in dental patients. Additional topics covered include management of medical emergencies, postoperative analgesia with specific emphasis on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and narcotic medications, antibiotic use in odontogenic infections, antibiotic use in odontogenic infections, hemostasis management, anticoagulation considerations, pain and anxiety management for pediatric patients, and treatment considerations for geriatric patients. Residents apply this instruction by titration of various intravenous sedation medications while treating patients in the Oral Surgery Rotations, Periodontics clinic, and others as necessary for pain/anxiety management. The course also includes clinical cases involving nitrous oxide anxiolysis and oral sedation.