Total Comfort in Dental Hygiene and Periodontal Treatment: Procedural and Post-Procedural Considerations

A number of common dental procedures, such as tooth scaling with an ultrasonic instrument can result in severe pain. This pain may be a reason patients avoid needed treatment. Post- treatment tooth sensitivity may also be a distressing side effect of periodontal and hygiene procedures. This course is designed to help dentists and dental hygienists understand and manage the symptoms accompanying periodontal therapy.  A detailed discussion will be held of how most cases of procedural pain can be managed without using nerve blocks.

Topics to be covered:

• Sources of pain in periodontal procedures.
  • Differentiating periodontal from tooth derived pain.
  • Understanding why tooth roots are sensitive.
  • Identification of patient factors that may predispose to pain and sensitivity.
• Management of pain during periodontal procedure.
  • Use of topical anesthetics.
  • Use of topical dentin desensitizers.
• Local anesthesia techniques in periodontal pain control.
  • Infiltration verse block injections.
  • Choice of anesthetic agents that allow most patients to be manages with infiltration.
• Post treatment sensitivity.
  • Treatment options: sensitivity home care products and professional treatments.