Objectives: 

• Identify the prescription medications most frequently encountered on a patient’s medical history and discuss their oral-systemic health implications.
• Discuss the non-prescription medications most often used by dental patients and explain their oral-systemic health implications.
• Identify the most popular dietary supplements and discuss their oral-systemic health considerations.
• Identify the most common substances of abuse and their oral-systemic health considerations.

Dental hygienists must frequently draw upon their knowledge of pharmacology for optimal care of today’s medically complex dental patients. However, armed with relatively brief exposure to such a vast subject during formal education and faced with ever-changing disease state management protocols, many dental hygienists simply cannot keep up with the latest in oral-systemic health guidelines. This program will provide an overview of the oral-systemic health implications of the prescription medications, non-prescription medications, herbal products, nutritional supplements and substances of abuse most frequently used by patients. Special emphasis will be given to delivering this essential information in a format which makes it practical and useful in the daily practice of the dental hygienist.