Course Description

This course will outline risk factors associated with tethered oral tissues, including physiological syndromes, such as “Blue Baby Syndrome,” and incorrect usage of topicals, as well as psycho-social impacts on the nursing mother and the whole family will be discussed. Dr. Levine will provide information on the science behind laser frenectomies vs. other surgical procedures

Learning Outcomes

The participant will be able to:

1. Identify possible tethered oral tissues
2. Establish referral protocol
3. Provide families with resources to allow optimal decision making

The ability to create appropriate oral movement patterns for optimal feeding is interconnected to the rhythmic patterns of the body systems. Recognizing important body rhythms, impact of oral phase feeding skills on these systems, and the importance of utilizing strategies that activate muscle movements that support optimal feeds will be discussed. Infant and toddler feeding skills can be facilitated by a gradual transition from passive input to activation and maintenance of expected muscle work that results in synchronization of breathing, heart rate, sucking, swallowing, and more.

Timed Agenda

coming soon!

Bob's Bio

Course Description

How facial architecture dictates the dynamics of airflow, the association with sleep disordered breathing, and negative outcomes associated

Learning Outcomes

The participant will be able to:

1. correlate mid-face deficiency with sleep disordered breathing
2. understand sleep study reports

Timed Agenda

• 10 minutes - Overview of breathing
• 20 minutes - Airflow dynamics
• 20 minutes - Understanding reports
• 10 minutes - Questions

Ken's Bio

Course Description

Children develop the majority of their feeding skills in the first two years of life. Therefore, a 2-year-old child should have adult-like eating and drinking skills. However, doctors and therapists are often not seeing this development despite babies born with relatively typical structures. So, what is happening? Cranial alterations occur in upper airway, jaw, and midface in these actively growing children. These structural changes frequently result from unidentified and untreated tethered oral tissues, chewing inefficiency, immature swallowing patterns, and unhealthy mouth breathing. However, oral sensory-motor and orofacial myofunctional treatment along with appropriate medical treatment helps children develop healthy oral and airway structure and function for eating and drinking.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

1. Describe typical feeding, eating, and drinking development
2. Explain reasons for and impact of cranial alterations in airway, jaw, and midface in actively growing children
3. Identify team members who may work together to resolve anatomical and physiological concerns affecting feeding, eating, drinking, breathing, and swallowing
4. Describe oral sensory-motor and orofacial myofunctional treatments used to treat growing children with these issues

Timed Agenda

• 20 minutes – Review of typical feeding/eating/drinking development
• 10 minutes – Overview of breathing system used in eating and drinking
• 10 minutes – Benefits of nasal vs. mouth breathing
• 20 minutes – Implementation of medical treatment with pre- and post- therapy
• 10 minutes - Treatment team to resolve mouth, airway, eating, and drinking concerns
• 20 minutes – Oral sensory-motor treatment as a prerequisite for orofacial myofunctional treatment
• 10 minutes – Q & A

Soroush's, Sanda's, and Diane's Bio

Course Description

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), ranging from snoring to sleep apnea, affects a multitude of individuals of all ages, from infancy to adulthood. Importantly, in many cases sleep-disordered breathing and clinical markers for poor orofacial growth actually began in childhood and was undetected. The negative ramifications of sleep-disordered breathing on health and development is profound, affecting nearly every cell in the body. This lecture will highlight these negative consequences and introduce you to the role of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in the management and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing through case studies and some of the most recent and riveting research around. This lecture will open your mind to the idea that an orofacial myofunctional disorder is a clinical marker of sleep-disordered breathing. In addition, a persistent and common problem in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing is hypotonia of the orofacial muscular complex and mouth breathing. It is well known that orofacial myofunctional disorders coexist in a large population of people with sleep-disordered breathing and sleep apnea. Thus, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is an important and often necessary component in the treatment of SDB, and early identification and treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders is paramount to success. This lecture will also emphasize the importance of early intervention in the management and prevention of sleep-disordered breathing and potential orthodontic comorbidities.

Learning Outcomes

The participant will be able to:

1. Describe 5 strategies to enhance communication between pediatricians and parents/caregivers of picky eaters
2. Understand the role of the pediatrician in referring children for feeding evaluations
3. Understand the barriers to effective communication between professionals and caregivers

Timed Agenda

• 5 Minutes: Introductions & Disclosures
• 15 Minutes: The role of the pediatrician in identifying feeding difficulties
• 10 Minutes: Barriers to effective communication
• 20 Minutes: 5 strategies to enhance communication & get kids the help they need
• 10 Minutes: Q & A

Nicole's Bio

Course Description

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends an oral health exam after eruption of the first tooth of by one year of age. The erupting teeth, however are not the only structures for examination in infants and toddlers. Multiple oral pathologies and anomalies can present in the oral cavities of these very young patients. This course will provide an overview of pathologies/anomalies that may present in the oral cavity of infants and toddlers, stressing interdisciplinary care among healthcare providers.

Learning Outcomes

The participant will be able to:

1. List the etiology, clinical appearance and treatment options for a variety of oral pathologies and anomalies that may present in infants and toddlers.
2. Explain the importance of interdisciplinary, collaborative care among healthcare providers in treating pathologies and anomalies in very young patients.

Timed Agenda

• 5 minutes Introduction
• 3 min Dental Lamina Cysts
• 3 min Congenital epulis of the newborn
• 3 min Candidiasis (thrush)
• 5 min Primary acute herpetic gingivostomatitis
• 5 min Hand foot and mouth disease
• 3 min Herpangina
• 3 min Dentigerous Cyst Eruption Cyst Benign migratory glossitis
• 3 min Gemination/fusion
• 5 min Cleft lip/palate
• 5 min wrap up

Sherri's Bio

Course Description

As dental health professionals we are considered to be an integral part of the oral and facial development by implementing early assessments. In the past a traditional dental appointment would start no earlier than the age of one to three. As the dental community has evolved we now have integrated what we would consider a progressive dental appointment and are seeing patients as early as newborns depending on the office and team knowledge in orofacial myofunctional disorders and early airway intervention. This course will show the differences between traditional and progressive dental assessments and how the dental team can be an important collaborative team player in the overall oral development with encouraging a healthy airway in the future for the 0-3 population. 

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

1. Distinguish between a traditional and progressive dental assessment and know how it can affect the overall outcome of the oral facial development and health.
2. List what a traditional and progressive dental assessment would include.
3. Recognize areas in the dental assessment that could affect the mom as well as the unborn child.The participant will be able to:

Timed Agenda

Chris will intro and speak on traditional pediatric dental visit:

• 10 min   Introducing child and parent to a traditional pediatric dental assessment.
• 10 min   Pediatric dental assessment according to AAPD and the ADA.
• 10 min   Summarizing what a traditional pediatric dental assessment covers for mom to be and child.

Misty will speak on progressive pediatric dental visit and conclude

• 10 min   Pediatric assessment which may start with a breastfeeding issue.
• 10 min   Progressive pediatric assessment and collaborative team approach.
• 10 min   Informing the mother to be with more progressive thought

Course Description

Mobile and portable oral health programs were developed as a strategy to remove known barriers to vulnerable populations and improve access to oral health services. Now, many of these programs serve children and older adults that lives in nursing homes, individuals with physical and mental impairments, and those with other special needs. This course will discuss the provision of care for the geriatric population in long term care facilities A discussion on how to navigate some of the challenges associated with geriatric mobile dentistry will conclude the course

Learning Outcomes

The participant will be able to:

1. Identify problems with access to oral health care for underserved populations, particularly with older Americans, children, and special needs.
2. List the oral health disparities associated with the underserved populations.
3. Cite challenges that exist with owning a mobile dental program.

Timed Agenda

• 10 min overview of mobile dentistry
• 10 Min school-based dentistry
• 10 Min special needs dentistry
• 10min geriatric dentistry
• 10min systemic link
• 10min Q&A

Sonya's Bio

We all dispense advice during clinical encounters, often believing that information and education will help our patients and clients improve. But many continue to be surprised when our patients and clients return in much the same state that we last saw them. What gives? And what can we do? In this webinar, participants will learn about the person-centered communication style of motivational interviewing. Participants will discover strategies that can help patients and clients find their motivation for making behavior changes and treatment decisions that lead, not only to improved health, but also to an improved relationship between patient and practitioner.

Learning Outcomes

The participant will be able to:

1. Understand what motivational interviewing (MI) is and is not
2. Explore the style and skills of motivational interviewing in clinical practice
3. Develop practical conversational skills to employ during patient and client encounters

Timed Agenda

• 10 minutes What MI is and is not
• 10 minutes Why MI is important for improved patient and client outcomes
• 15 minutes Description of relevant MI skills
• 15 minutes Application of MI skills to clinical practice
• 10 minutes Q&A

Matt's Bio