2025 AAOM WINTER VIRTUAL MEETING

EDUCATION SESSIONS

Saturday, January 25

MODULE 1

Risk Assessment and Precautions: How Can Clinical Research and Statistics Improve Care for Patients with Medical Complexity?

TIME: 9:10 - 10:00 USA EST {45-minute lecture + 5 minutes Q&A}

SPEAKER: Michael Glick, DMD, Executive Director, Center for Integrative Global Oral Health
Fields-Rayant Endowed Professor of Integrative Global Oral Health
Professor of Clinical Preventive and Restorative Sciences, Department of Oral Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine 

SYNOPSIS: Obtaining a medical history involves not only asking questions but also evaluating the answers. Effective questioning extends beyond verbal communication and includes interpretation of laboratory results. The ability to accurately understand and interpret these answers is a critical skill that can be refined through the application of clinical research and statistical concepts. Additionally, applying data from the biomedical literature to individual patients requires a process that is explicit, precise, and communicable to both patients and other healthcare professionals. This presentation will explore how clinical research and statistical methods can be leveraged to enhance patient care especially when it comes to those with medical complexities. 

LRNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Understand the role of clinical research and statistical concepts in improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment decisions.

  • Develop skills to critically interpret biomedical data, including laboratory results and findings from the literature, for application in patient care.

  • Learn to effectively communicate evidence-based insights to patients and healthcare teams to support collaborative decision-making.

 

MODULE 2

Immunocompromised Patients in the Dental Clinics: Modern Practice Updates

TIME: 10:00 - 11:00 USA EST {25-minute lecture+ 25-minute clinical cases + 10 minutes Q&A}

SPEAKERS: 
Nathaniel Simon Treister, DMD, DMSc
Associate Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Chief, Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Past President, American Academy of Oral Medicine

Brittany A Klein, DDS
Atrius Health, Department of ENT, Oral Medicine Clinic, Boston, MA

Roopali Kulkarni, DMD, MPH
Assistant Director, Postgraduate Oral Medicine Program
Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine, Penn Dental Medicine

SYNOPSIS: TBD 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TBD

MODULE 3
Common Bleeding Risks in Dental Practice: Contemporary Management Approaches

TIME: 11:00 - 12:00 NOON USA EST {25-minute lecture + 25-minute clinical cases + 10 minutes Q&A}

SPEAKER: Eric C. Sung, D.D.S.
Professor of Clinical Dentistry
Vice Chair of the Division of Advanced Prosthodontics
Chair of the Section of Special Patient Care
Momentum Endowed Chair in Special Patient Care
UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA

SYNOPSIS: This virtual education module explores evidence-based approaches to managing dental patients with an elevated risk of bleeding. Through a blend of a lecture and interactive case discussions, participants will gain practical insights into assessing bleeding risk, tailoring dental care plans/management strategies, and addressing complications. This session is ideal for dental professionals seeking to enhance their clinical decision-making skills and ensure safe, effective care for patients with bleeding concerns.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 

  • Identify the common medical conditions and treatments that increase bleeding risk in dental patients and understand their implications for oral care.
  • Develop evidence-based management strategies for patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, including collaboration with medical providers.
  • Apply principles of safe dental care through interactive case discussions, focusing on real-world scenarios involving bleeding risk and post-procedure hemostasis 

BREAK | 12:00 NOON - 12:30PM USA EST

MODULE 4
Updates on Women's Oral Health and Overall Well-Being

TIME: 12:30 - 13:30 USA EST {25-minute lecture+ 25-minute clinical cases + 10 minutes Q&A}

SPEAKERS:
Sahar Mirfarsi, DDS, FICD
Diplomate, American Board of Oral Medicine
Associate Professor
Co-Coordinator, Advanced Oral Diagnosis Workgroup
Western University of Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine

Linda Sangalli, DDS, MS, PhD
Diplomate, American Board of Ororfacial Pain
Clinical Assistant Professor
Midwestern University

SYNOPSIS: This interactive lecture will delve in to the important connection between women’s oral health and overall well-being. From the oral medicine perspective, we will examine how hormonal variation and systemic health changes may impact women’s overall well-being and influence their dental and oral care needs in different life stages. The lecture highlights how oral healthcare professionals can collaborate with other healthcare disciplines to comprehensively support women’s health. It will also equip participants with practical knowledge and tools to address the unique challenges women face at different stages of life to ultimately foster better health outcomes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Describe common overall systemic changes in different life stages of women and their effects on the oral and overall well-being.

  • Discuss the bidirectional relationship between oral and systemic health and its relevance to comprehensive patient care.

  • Implement evidence-based strategies to enhance women’s oral health and overall well-being, including individualized care plans tailored to life stages and systemic health conditions.

MODULE 5
Decoding Common Medical Mysteries: Clinical Cases Discussion

TIME: 13:30 -14:30 USA EST {50-minute clinical cases discussion + 10 minutes Q&A}

SPEAKERS: 
Craig S. Miller, DMD
Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD)

Thamer Musbah, BDS
Associate Professor and Chief, Division of Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine, Oral Health Practice, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry.

SYNOPSIS: TBD

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: TBD

BREAK | 14:30 NOON - 15:00PM USA EST

MODULE 6
Adapting to Change: Modern Dental Management and Oral Care in a Diverse Demographic Landscape

TIME: 15:00 - 16:00 USA EST {25-minute lecture+ 25-minute clinical cases + 10 minutes Q&A}

SPEAKER: Arwa Farag, BDS, DMSc, FRCSEd.
Associate Professor, King AbdulAziz University Faculty of Dentistry, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

SYNOPSIS: The evolving demographics of modern society, including increasing cannabis use, the unique needs of transgender individuals, challenges from social isolation, and the implications of weight loss trends, require a reimagined approach to oral healthcare. This educational module explores these trends' oral health impacts, emphasizing evidence-based dental management strategies tailored to these populations. Participants will gain insights into identifying, addressing, and preventing oral health complications in these demographic groups, fostering a more inclusive and proactive dental practice.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Analyze how evolving societal trends—such as increased cannabis use, transgender healthcare needs, social isolation, and weight loss practices—affect oral health.

  • Formulate practical, evidence-based dental management approaches that address the unique oral care needs of these demographic groups, ensuring sensitivity and inclusivity.

  • Implement preventative strategies and patient education to mitigate oral health risks associated with these evolving demographic factors.

MODULE 7
Closing Lecture: Role of 'Living' Evidence-Informed Practice Guidelines in Clinical Care

TIME: 16:00 - 16:50 USA EST {45-minute lecture + 5-minute Q&A}

SPEAKER: Alonso Carrasco-Labra, DDS, PhD
Associate Professor, Preventive and Restorative Sciences and Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH), Penn Dental Medicine

SYNOPSIS: Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed reports containing recommendations, which are actionable statements that assist patients, practitioners, caregivers, and policymakers in making decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances. Guidelines integrate the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values and preferences, with the goal of improving patient outcomes, increasing consistency in care, and facilitating efficient use of resources. Traditional guidelines often take years to update, leading to a gap between research findings and practical application, which affects the quality of patient care and slows down the transfer of research findings into practice. Living guidelines, however, maintain currency through frequent updates informed by living systematic reviews, which continually monitor new research evidence. This represents a shift toward more responsive, flexible clinical guidance that bridges the gap between knowledge generation and practical application to improve the timeliness and relevance of healthcare decisions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Learn the key elements that make a clinical practice guideline trustworthy, evidence basis, management of conflict of interest, and rigor in development.

  • Appreciate the importance of involving a diverse group of stakeholders, including practitioners, patient partners, researchers, and specialists, in the guideline development process.

  • Acquire a comprehensive understanding of how living guidelines operate, including their role in reducing the knowledge-to-practice time lag and the importance of frequent updates in clinical and public health decision-making.

Contact AAOM if you have any questions. We are happy to assist you.