OVERVIEW

Eastern Medicine Meets Dentistry: The Use of Herbal Supplements in Dentistry is organized by The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA).

Accreditation:
CE Credits: 3

Course Description:
Herbs and other supplements are becoming much more common in the United States due to public dissatisfaction of soaring prescription costs the past couple of decades, combined with the interest in returning to naturally-based products. One in three individuals takes some form of supplementation, whether in the form of vitamins, minerals or tonic. According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 80% of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some part of their primary health care management. In addition to the supplements many of our patients are knowingly taking, some oral health products contain herbal ingredients that may cause adverse outcomes when taken with other over-the-counter or prescription medications. The dental team must be aware of oral products containing herbs and supplements and recognize potentially dangerous combinations between various herbs or supplements and drugs commonly used in dentistry today.

Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, the dental professional should be able to:

• Explain the evolution of supplement use.
• Examine the rationale and trends for supplement usage by dental patients.
• List the more common herbs used as supplements.
• Identify which herbal supplement might be used to treat depression.
• Name the herbal supplement that might be used to improve memory function.
• Recall which herbal supplement might be used to prevent cardiovascular disease.
• Discuss the factors that may impact herbal potency.
• Understand how dietary supplements and herbal medicines are regulated.
• Relate potential drug interactions with dental drugs.
• Summarize possible oral complications with the use of some herbal and dietary supplements.
• Describe the differences in pharmacology between traditional drugs and herbal medicines.
• Recognize which herbal supplements hinder blood clotting.
• Recite the herbal supplements that may interfere with anesthetics.
• List the herbal supplements that may cause cardiovascular interactions.
• Recognize which herbal supplements may cause gastrointestinal interactions.
• Identify the herbal supplements that may interfere with inflammatory and immune responses.
• Describe herbal supplements that may be useful in dentistry.
• Explain the types of alternative oral and dental care products.
• Recommend alternatives and suggestions to patients in terms of vitamin usage, ingredients in oral care products and where to look for additional information.