NVDS CE Program – “I Haven't Got Time for this Pain” with Thomas Viola, RPh, CCP

NVDS CE Program – “I Haven't Got Time for this Pain” with Thomas Viola, RPh, CCP is organized by Northern Virginia Dental Society (NVDS) and will be held on Mar 14, 2025 at Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park, Falls Church, Virginia, United States of America.

Synopsis:
Management of acute odontogenic pain is accomplished through a clinical approach that successfully incorporates intraoperative local anesthesia and a postoperative regimen of non- opioid and opioid analgesics. However, improper and inappropriate use of both local anesthetic agents and analgesics have the potential to produce adverse outcomes for our patients. Thus, it is critical for clinicians to accurately evaluate the need for pain control, identify associated risks, and assess the efficacy of the agents to be administered.

This program will provide participants with an overview of the pharmacology and therapeutics of local anesthetic agents and analgesics. Special emphasis will be given to effective perioperative pain management and best practices for prescribing analgesics for postoperative pain control.

Course Objectives:

• Discuss local anesthetic agents with respect to their mechanisms of action, adverse effects, contraindications and clinical considerations.
• Explain the rationale for the use of vasoconstrictors and potential adverse effects.
• Describe the pharmacology and mechanism of action of analgesics used in the management of acute dental pain, including situations which may preclude their use.
• Discuss best practices for prescribing analgesics, as well as proper storage and disposal of unused dosages.
• Describe techniques useful in recognizing and identifying potential opioid addiction and current protocols for its treatment.