Periodontology and Pharmacology for General Practice
Where
Shoreline Inn Conference Center
750 Terrace Point Rd
Muskegon, MI 49440
When
November 7th, 2026
Saturday
9:00AM to 3:00 PM EST
Registration - 8.45 am
Pricing
RDH: $250 $225
Asst & Aux: $250 $225
Lunch Included
Credit Hours
6 CEUS
Subject Code
490 - Periodontology
010 - Basic Science
346 - Opioids, Controlled Substances
Speakers
Dr. Jamie Paiva-Sharma DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC
Dr. Silky Sharma, RDH, Ed.D is an Associate Professor at Harper College, Palatine, Illinois, and has been a faculty member since 2010. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Illinois with a focus on Evidence-Based Decision Making. Dr. Sharma earned her Doctorate from Grand Canyon University in Education, in Teaching and Learning with an emphasis on Adult Learning. She has continued to practice dental hygiene, providing patient-centered care at a perio-focused office for 20 years. Click Here to Read More
Dr. Jamie Paiva-Sharma has been a nursing adjunct faculty member at Elgin Community College since 2021. She earned her RN associate degree in 2013, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ferris State University in 2015. She has worked as a registered nurse in long term care and medical/surgical units, but spent most of her nursing career working in cardiac and medical intensive care units. In 2019, she earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Rush University in 2019 and became a nurse practitioner. Click Here to Read More
Course Description
This course is designed for dental professionals and delivers critically appraised, evidence-based strategies for accurate periodontal and peri-implant diagnosis. It provides a chronological overview of the assessment phase of care, including identifying, diagnosing, communicating, treating, and stabilizing periodontitis through non-surgical periodontal therapy. The course will also review the latest 2023 implant maintenance guidelines, focusing on prevention, early detection, and management of peri-implant conditions.
The second half of this course provides dental professionals with an understanding of how medical histories influence clinical decision-making and patient safety. Participants will review the pharmacology and clinical use of commonly prescribed medications, antibiotics, including analgesics, and differentiate between non-opioid and opioid options for managing acute dental pain. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based opioid prescribing practices and strategies to minimize risk.
Course Objectives
- Describe the components of a comprehensive periodontal assessment phase.
- Apply the 2017 AAP/EFP classification system to stage and grade periodontitis.
- Differentiate between periodontal and peri-implant disease classifications.
- Develop evidence-based treatment plans for patients with periodontal and implant conditions.
- Utilize a clinical decision-making framework for periodontal diagnosis and treatment sequencing.
- Discuss the significance of medical histories and identify key components impacting dental treatment.
- Describe the pharmacology and clinical use of commonly prescribed medications, including analgesics.
- Discuss the use and overuse of antibiotics and opioids.
- Differentiate between non-opioid and opioid analgesics for acute dental pain management.
- Apply evidence-based principles for safe and appropriate opioid prescribing in dental practice.
Course Outline
Periodontology for General Practice – 3hrs
- Assessment Phase Components
- Periodontal Classification
- Implants Maintenance
- Treatment Planning for NSPT
- Decision-Making Tree
Pharmacology for General Practice – 3hrs
- Review of Dental Pharmacology
- Antibiotics
- Non Opioids and Opioids
- Evidence-based opioid prescribing and risk management