University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry is accepting registrations for its sixth-annual Pacific Dental Hygiene Conference to be held on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at the dental school’s San Francisco campus.
This year’s conference has been designed for dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants who wish to incorporate the latest scientific evidence in the care of their patients. The conference will feature two science-based sessions to give attendees new information on evidence-based practices, risk reduction strategies and nutritional counseling as a means of improving patient oral health.
“The Pacific Dental Hygiene Conference presents an opportunity for hygienists, assistants and other dental professionals to come together and network while also learning the latest scientific information and patient management advice relevant to oral health. This year, Ann Spolarich is the keynote speaker. If you have not benefitted from her knowledge in the past you owe it to yourself to be inspired by her at this year’s conference,” said Deborah Horlak, director of the Dental Hygiene Program at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.
Participants may attend two special sessions offered during the one-day conference:
Exploring the Emerging Science
The proliferation of clinical studies and journal publications has made keeping current with relevant research nearly impossible. This course will discuss challenges with and strategies for adopting an evidence-based practice philosophy. Some of the latest findings from research about interventions that can successfully reduce oral and systemic disease will be highlighted. This knowledge is translated into risk reduction strategies that clinicians can apply in their daily practice to improve the health and well-being of their patients.
This course is taught by Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD, an internationally recognized author and speaker on pharmacology and the care of medically complex patients. She is clinical associate professor and associate director of the National Center for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice at the Ostrow School of Dentistry at University of Southern California.
Enhancing Dental Hygiene Care through Nutritional Counseling
Obesity, diabetes, caries and periodontal diseases respond to improvements in nutritional status. Evidence supports the consideration of nutritional evaluation as a part of oral health care, especially when treating today’s medically complex patient. Nutritional counseling can be a means to improve oral and systemic health. The speakers will present strategies to incorporate nutritional counseling into the dental hygiene care plan as a part of comprehensive dental treatment.
Paula Watson, RDHAP, MS, who teaches this course along with Deborah Horlak, is an associate professor of periodontics and the senior clinic coordinator at Pacific’s Dental Hygiene Program. She also maintains an alternative dental hygiene practice, Dental Hygiene Resources, which provides oral health screenings for children in the Migrant Education Program.
The Pacific Dental Hygiene Conference is designated for six units of continuing education credit. Tuition — which has been reduced from last year — is $245 for dentists and $165 for allied dental professionals. The program is scheduled from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, with registration beginning at 8:30 am, and will be held at the dental school's 2155 Webster Street campus location in San Francisco. Registration includes continental breakfast and lunch. For more information or to register, visit www.dental.pacific.edu/ce1 or call 415.929.6486.
