MetLife Expands Its Dental Continuing Education Program

Business Wire, Nov 03, 2009

NEW YORK -- MetLife, a provider of dental plan administration for over 21 million people, today announced more options for dentists and allied health care professionals seeking to enhance their professional development through its dental continuing education program. Additions to the program, which is recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) for continuing education credits, focus on: 1) Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorder Patients, 2) Infection Control and OSHA Update, 3) Introduction to Dental Implant Therapy, and 4) Local Anesthetics. The courses can be accessed at www.metdental.com.

“Education is a key component to keeping dental care professionals informed about topics of importance in the industry and to help provide better patient care,” said Alan Vogel, DMD, national dental director for MetLife. “MetLife is committed to making timely and need based educational resources available to the dental community.”

MetLife continuing education materials are available to MetLife Preferred Dentist Program (PDP) participants as well as non-PDP dentists. PDP participants receive continuing education credits for MetLife’s educational offerings at no charge. Non-PDP dentists and hygienists also have access to the offerings and are charged a nominal fee for educational credits.

The latest Quality Resource Guides include:

Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) Patients, written by Edward F. Wright, DDS, MS, associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center – San Antonio, presents straightforward guidelines for the examination and treatment of patients with TMD symptoms. A sample initial patient questionnaire is included to help guide the clinician through the evaluation. Guidelines for TMD self-management and discussion of occlusal appliances assist the clinician in two primary areas of initial therapy. Guidelines for referral assist the clinician in managing those patients who do not adequately respond to primary therapy.

Infection Control and OSHA Update – Part 1 and 2, are authored by John A. Molinari, PhD, director of Infection Control for The Dental Advisor. Part one of this two-part guide discusses the history of: 1) infectious diseases and the healthcare worker; 2) the development of guidelines by the Center for Disease Control to protect both the patient and the healthcare worker; and 3) the OSHA regulations that impact the dental office. It discusses standard precautions for use during dental care, as well as vaccine recommendations and management of dental waterlines. The second part highlights specific infection control procedures for the dental office, including aseptic procedures and personal protective barriers. Charts and photos provide practical guidance for the clinician as they prepare their office, their staff and themselves to deliver dental care.

Introduction to Dental Implant Therapy, is written by Thomas Oates Jr., DMD, PhD, professor and vice chair of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and assistant dean for clinical research at UTHSCSA Dental School. There are multiple implant systems as well as a wide range of surgical and restorative options available to dental practitioners. This guide provides a scientifically based overview of implant systems to assist the dentist in clinical decision-making and answering patient questions regarding therapeutic options. Considerations are provided relative to both the surgical and restorative phases of implant therapy.

Local Anesthetics 2nd Edition, by Clarence Trummel, DDS, PhD, emeritus professor at the School of Dental Medicine at University of Connecticut, provides a quick review of the information that needs to be considered if adverse outcomes are to be avoided and optimal effectiveness achieved, when dealing with local anesthetics. The guide begins with a brief review of the pharmacology of local anesthetics and proceeds to a discussion of side effects and toxicity with emphasis on recognizing the symptoms of systemic toxicity. Included is a description of the essential questions that need to be asked when a patient indicates a past adverse experience. The guide contains a quick reference to information on dosages for the nine local anesthetic formulations commonly used in dentistry. The guide concludes with a discussion and evaluation of alternative delivery methods including computer-assisted devices and topical anesthetics.

For additional information about MetLife’s dental continuing education program, visit www.metdental.com.