Hygiene COURSES

RDH Courses

Mastering the Arch! Full Arch Implant Maintenance and Home-Care

Course By:- Susan S. Wingrove BS, RDH

Course Description:-

Support your patients choosing to replace dentures or edentulous arches with implantsupported full arch fixed or removable prostheses. Assessment of patient’s tissues, abutments, and implants are the critical component in the success of implant-supported Full Arch prosthesis patient. In this course, participants will gain an understanding on how to provide assessment, maintenance, and home-care recommendations for the ‘full arch fixed and removable prosthesis patient’. Experience step-by-step videos on removal and replacement of the fixed full arch prosthesis based on Susan’s textbook: Periimplant Therapy for the Dental Hygienist: 2nd Edition. Comprehend the WHAT, WHY, and HOW To of Mastering the ARCH! Learning Objectives:
  • To understand WHAT and WHY of Full Arch Implant Prostheses and the current research on implant maintenance and home-care specifics for full arch removable and non-removable prosthesis.
  • Experience through live patient videos HOW TO remove and replace full arch prostheses and the flow of a professional implant maintenance visit.
  • To be able to provide the tools and products for critical home-care recommendations and disease prevention.
Sponsored By:- Ivoclar, Oral-b

CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND IMPROVE YOUR OUTCOMES - An Update on Protocols, Products, and Treatment Options

Course By:- Tricia Osuna, BSDH, RDH, FAADH

Course Description:-

Updated protocols assist us in determining our patient’s specific needs. As we move towards a more collaborative profession, we need to embrace these updates to identify those needs. We are presented with continuous challenges of new advances in products and  technology and their use in dentistry and are in need of information to determine when and how to add them into our armamentaria. As professionals providing health services, our perception of product use along with protocols needs to be discussed with our team, as well as the interdisciplinary referrals we have. The process of care (assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation) requires a comprehension of protocols, products, and treatment options and how they are to be utilized. Learning Objectives:
  • Modify diagnosis assistance with the team and rationale for changes in assessment forms and diagnostic tools.
  • Distinguish which new-to-market products should be brought into your practice.
  • Integrate materials and products for a variety of uses in the dental office from infection control, dental hygiene therapy, oral cancer screening, patient communication, and instrumentation.
  • Develop effective communication with patients and assist in the business of the dental practice.
  • Formulate strategies that incorporate efficiency in patient treatment for more productive scheduling.
Sponsored By:- Ivolcar, Enova, Directa Dental,Kettenbach and Nordent.

Technology, Teeth, and Time

Course By:- Lynn Atkinson, RDH

Course Description:-

Technologies transform how clinicians diagnose and treat patients more efficiently than ever before while enhancing the patient experience. The dental hygienists can be leaders in bringing technologies to the forefront and empowering team members on the benefits for the patients, team, and the practice. This course will introduce several different technologies to make the dental hygiene experience more comprehensive and efficient. Learning Objectives:
  • Identify different technologies used in diagnosis and therapies.
  • Learn how to incorporate technologies in different scenarios.
  • Recognize the advantages of using technologies in the hygiene department.

Sponsored By:- EMS, Biolase

EVERY CHOICE MATTERS: Strategies and Insights into Better Dental Ergonomics

Course By:- Cindy Purdy, RDH, BS, CEAS

Course Description:-

A profound number of dental professionals are experiencing chronic pain, injury, disability, and early retirement. By facing the ergonomic realities of the practice of dentistry, this course will present solid ergonomic principles and science-based ergonomic evidence that will guide attendees to truly understand the mechanics of musculoskeletal disorders, lear the cost of injury and discover why and what can be done to reduce workplace challenges, enhance wellness and extend career longevity. Learning Objectives:
  • Explore the current studies related to dental ergonomics.
  • Recognize the risks for work-related injuries impacting the dental profession.
  • Appreciate the role of neutral posture in reducing ergonomic challenges.

Sponsored By:- Crown Seating, LLC, Hu-Friedy Group, MouthWatch, LLC, Andau Medical

The Future Is NOW... Implementing Minimally Invasive Dental Hygiene Therapy into Clinical Practice

Course By:- Melissa Calhoun, MSDH, RDH

Course Description:-

Do you ever provide preventive therapy and feel as though something is missing? You’ve used mechanical, hand instrumentation, and polishing agents, yet biofilm is still present. Technology has provided dental hygienists with an effective and efficient way to disrupt biofilm minimizing the use of mechanical and hand instrumentation yet providing a systematic, predictable approach to biofilm disruption. Minimally invasive therapies provide clinicians with the best way to safely remove biofilm from around implants, crowns, primary teeth, and natural teeth using a non-abrasive powder, warm water, and air. This course will provide a better understanding of dental hygiene therapies and how to introduce them to your team and patients. In addition, this interactive course will guide you through a systematic approach to disease diagnosis and patient motivation through risk assessment while achieving optimal results based on individualized precision patient care. Learning Objectives:
  • Understand why minimally invasive dental hygiene therapy encourages improved oral health outcomes.
  • Discuss ways to integrate minimally invasive dental hygiene therapy into their practice.
  • Explain minimally invasive dental hygiene therapy with your patients.
  • Consider guided biofilm therapy for performing minimally invasive dental hygiene therapy.

Sponsored By:- Waterpik, BioGaia, and EMS

Periodontal Excellence: Essential Insights and Practices for Dental Hygiene Professionals

Course By:- Nicole Fortune, RDH

Course Description:-

Tailored specifically for dental hygienists, this course is designed to provide a review of the intricacies of periodontal diseases, emphasizing the essential knowledge and skills necessary for effective patient care. Participants will delve into the etiology, pathology, and clinical manifestations of periodontal diseases, gaining insights into the latest advancements in periodontal diagnostics and treatment modalities. This course integrates theoretical knowledge with practical applications, providing dental hygienists with the tools and skills needed to contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, and management of periodontal diseases in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives:
  • Identify the various etiological factors contributing to periodontal diseases, including microbial, genetic, and environmental factors.
  • Evaluate risk factors and their impact on the development and progression of periodontal diseases.
  • Explore evidence-based approaches to non-surgical periodontal therapy.
  • Discuss the integration of antimicrobial agents and adjunctive therapies in the management of periodontal diseases.

Sponsored By:- Young Dental

The Battle of the Microbiome: The Synergistic Relationship Between Oral Health and Nutrition

Course By:- Anne O. Rice, RDH

Course Description:-

“You are what you eat’ is attributed to nutritionist Victor Lindlahr in the 1930s, emphasizing that idea that food has a direct impact on health. Humans need a balanced intake of both macronutrients (such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for overall wellness, including oral health. Oral dysbiosis caused by a loss of microbial diversity, increased presence of pathogenic microbes, and a loss of beneficial microbes culminating to periodontal disease is becoming a challenge to treat. Science is mounting surrounding biofilm and resistant pathogens, leading to clinician and patient frustration. This presentation will offer a comprehensive exploration of the connection between nutrition and periodontal health, providing practical information and strategies for oral healthcare providers to integrate into their toolkit. Participants will gain knowledge on how to “feed and starve” the oral microbiome will cover information on vitamins, xylitol, pH, antimicrobials, essential oils, and nitric oxide in the context of periodontal health. Learning Objectives:
  • Identify specific vitamins and nutrients that feed a healthy mouth.
  • Summarize how oral cavity probiotics may benefit by providing colonization competition, genetic modification of the microbiota and immune stimulation.
  • Understand the dimensions of antimicrobials and their alterations to the microbiome.

Sponsored By:- Bio Gaia

Reflections on the treatment of periodontal disease after 45 years of practice; use of the microscope, perioscope and loupes in minimally invasive periodontal therapy.

Course By:- Tom Baker,DDS

Course Description:-

I aim to share my consistently successful minimally invasive treatment techniques for periodontally involved teeth by presenting patient cases. Use of various modalities of magnification will be demonstrated. The importance of accurate diagnosis will be discussed. Hygienists, dentists, and periodontists may find these treatment procedures useful.

Learning Objectives:

  • Importance of diagnosis.
  • Armamentarium that allows for minimally invasive treatment.
  • How I perform minimally invasive periodontal treatment.
  • Levels of therapy for both the hygienist and dentist/periodontist.
  • Importance of saving teeth, while acknowledging the necessity of dental implants.

Shifting The Paradigms In Periodontal Therapy; Implementing Innovation And Increasing Case Acceptance

Course By:- Marq Samsr,DMD

Course Description:-

The time has come to evolve how we treat periodontal disease. In this lecture, we discuss how traditionally periodontal therapy consisted of SRP,  flap surgery and then bone regeneration. Our focus is to discuss the innovation and need for adaptation of new technology to our practices. By implementing and utilizing a dental endoscope alone as an endoscopic debridement, or in combination with laser therapy and biologic modifiers we can provide less invasive options with more predictable results. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Reducing the need for traditional osseous surgery and understanding where it’s still needed.
  • Learning the history, components and workflows of a dental endoscope.
  • Learning how to implement dental endoscopy as microsurgery in your practice to optimize your efficiency.