Pharmacology Review for Local Anesthesia
with John R. Smith, Ph.D.
Date: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Without a doubt, local anesthetics are the most frequently used drugs in dentistry. Dentists and dental hygienists must expert knowledge of local anesthetics. In this all-ay course, Dr. Smith will discuss in detail the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic principles that determine the actions of local anesthetics as they are used in dentistry. He will also devote a portion of his time to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of vasoconstrictors that are included in local anesthetic solutions. In addition, his presentation will include a section dealing with clinically-significant interactions of local anesthetics and vasoconstrictors with commonly-used medications and with frequently-encountered disease states.
Among the specific topics Dr. Smith will address are:
• How do you handle a patient with an alleged “caine” allergy?
• What are the clinically-relevant differences among commercially available local anesthetics?
• What is the best way to proceed if your initial injection doesn't’ take?
• How do you determine maximum-recommended doses when using two different local anesthetic solutions?
• What is the best way to anesthetize the “hot” tooth?
Objectives:
• Understand how local anesthetics block nerve activity
• Understand the principles of local anesthetic pharmacokinetics
• Recognize the direct toxicities of local anesthetics
• Recognize local anesthetics drugs/drug interactions
• Understand the role of vasoconstrictors in local anesthesia
• Learn local anesthetic and epinephrine calculations
PLEASE NOTE: The Pharmacology Review course is a pre-requisite to the two-day course in Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists, if the registrant is attempting to fulfill the Oregon Board of Dentistry’s requirement for certification in local anesthesia for Oregon registered dental hygienists. You must have an active Oregon license if you wish to participate in the clinic portion and are taking this course for Oregon certification.
Target Audience: Oregon Hygienists seeking local anesthesia licensure in Oregon
Date & Time: Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuition: $140 hygienist / $195 dentist
Early Tuition Fees: / $120 hygienist / $165 dentist
Credit: 7 hours
Location: OHSU School of Dentistry
* Early tuition fees are applied when registering one month prior to course begin date.
Speaker: John R. Smith, PhD, is professor of Pharmacology in the Integrative Biosciences Department at the OHSU School of Dentistry. Dr. Smith received his M.S. and Ph.D in pharmacology/toxicology from Oregon State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology at the University of Washington. After two years of teaching at Southern Illinois University’s School of Dentistry, he returned to the west coast to take a position as Senior Researcher at the OSU Marine Science Center. In 1982, he moved to the then Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the OHSU School of Dentistry. Dr. Smith’s research interests are quite broad, with publications in journals as diverse as the International Journal of Invertebrate Reproduction and the Journal of Prosthodontics. Dr. Smith is currently the course director for all pharmacology classes offered to dental resident students and undergraduate dental students at OHSU-SD and is a past member of the Pharmacology Test Construction Committee of the ADA for the National Board Exam.
