Salivary Diagnostics in Dentistry

COURSE SUMMARY

AUTHOR(S): Gwen Smukowski, RDH, BS, MBA

AUDIENCE: Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants

ABSTRACT: Salivary diagnostics is quickly becoming one of dentistry’s most promising tools in the detection and prevention of oral-systemic diseases. While traditional methods still prove to be effective (e.g. blood or urine), they are typically more complex and more expensive to conduct. Salivary diagnostics allows for a much simpler way to obtain samples, and is also safer for clinicians since they are less exposed to viruses like HIV or HVC. Overall, this course discusses the many additional benefits associated with salivary testing, including a review of diseases it is able to detect, and an overview of the latest products now available to the oral health community.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Review the composition of saliva and how it supports the many functions within the oral cavity.

2. Understand the many advantages that salivary diagnostics has over traditional methods of detection/prevention.

3. Learn how it aids in detecting some of the most common oral diseases, such as caries, periodontal disease, and even oral cancer.

4. Compare the various products that are now on the market for dental professional to detect these different diseases.

5. Become acquainted with the different ways that the medical industry is currently using salivary diagnostics to prevent systemic disease.

CATEGORY: Oral-Systemic

CE ACTIVITY: Self-Instructional

NUMBER OF CREDITS: 2

COST: $20.00

PUBLISH DATE:  September 20, 2012

EXPIRATION DATE: September 20, 2015

SPONSORED BY:

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COURSE CONTENT: The information and opinions contained in this CE course are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Richmond Institute for Continuing Dental Education, or its affiliates. Any brand or product name mentioned throughout this course should not be inferred as an endorsement of any kind by the aforementioned parties. In addition, The Richmond Institute does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy or reliability of the materials on this website, or any site(s) that are linked to richmondinstitute.com.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Gwen Smukowski, RDH, BS, MBA does not have a financial arrangement or affiliation with any corporate organization offering financial support or grant monies for this continuing dental education program, nor do they have a financial interest in any commercial product(s) or service(s) they discuss in this program. The Richmond Institute for Continuing Dental Education is a division of Young Innovations, Inc. It is dedicated to ensuring that its continuing dental education programs are intended for the sole purpose of education and do not serve as an endorsement for any product(s) or service(s), including those of the sponsoring company.

FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS: After the course has been completed, an evaluation form will be emailed to the user to provide valuable feedback on the information just presented. If you have additional feedback, questions for the author, or need technical assistance please email support@richmondinstitute.com.

SCORING: To earn credit for completing a course from The Richmond Institute for Continuing Dental Education, participants must earn an overall score of 80% or above on the associated exam before receiving a certificate that confirms CE accreditation. (*NOTE: There is no limit to the number of times a participant may re-take the exam in order to obtain this passing score). All courses that are published on this site are categorized as self-instructional—which means participants must complete the course on their own time and submit the accurate payment in order to earn CE credit.

PAYMENT POLICY: As of October 1, 2011, participants must pay online before taking the exam for any course listed on this website to receive verification of CE credit. No other form of payment will be accepted. Expenses must be paid with a valid credit card; acceptable forms include: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. The Richmond Institute can only accept payments from individuals who live and/or practice in the United States or select U.S. Territories. Course material may not be resold or republished for any commercial purposes acknowledgement from The Richmond Institute.

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: All courses purchased from this website are final and non-refundable.

STATE REGULATIONS: It is the responsibility of the participant to adhere to all laws and regulations set forth by the state that he or she is licensed to practice in. The Richmond Institute and its authors are not responsible for the participants’ use or misuse of the techniques and procedures discussed in this course.

LIMITED KNOWLEDGE RISK: The information provided in this course may not be comprehensive enough for implementation into professional dental practice. It is highly recommended that additional information be attained once the course is completed to establish greater proficiency on the topic at hand.

The Richmond Institute for Continuing Dental Education is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at www.ada.org/goto/cerp.