Now that you know about my new dental education venture, Ben-Pat Institute, with Terry Bennett, DMD, I want to make sure you are aware of what options are available to advance your understanding of craniofacial pain, orofacial pain (OFP) temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) and dental sleep medicine (DSM). We have a couple upcoming courses for you to sign up for and we highly recommend you do so soon because spaces are limited. Here is what we have for continuing dental education in the next couple months.
Overview of DSM and TMD
Dates: March 26-27, 2021.
Location: Tulsa Marriott / 1902 E 71st St, Tulsa, OK 74136.
Speaker: Mayoor Patel, DDS, and Terry Bennett, DMD.
In this two-day education program, we will cover dental sleep medicine and orofacial pain. We will discuss TMJ disorders and will also briefly touch on other orofacial pain that we are seeing in general dental practices.
Day one will focus on dental sleep medicine. We know that about more than 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which is when the airway gets blocked while someone is sleeping. This often occurs in people with obesity and additional tissue thickens the wall of the windpipe, making it more difficult to keep it open. Sometimes it might also be because the throat muscles relax more than normal. A long, bony neck can also make for a narrower airway, which can also lead to sleep apnea.
Together we will learn about:
- Basics of sleep, sleep medicine and sleep disorders.
- The role of the dentist in sleep medicine.
- Screening for sleep disorders.
- Oral appliances for airway and sleep breathing disorders.
- Jaw/bite registration for construction of an oral appliance through a demonstration and hands-on experience.
Day two will focus on orofacial pain and TMD. Orofacial pain covers a wide spectrum of symptoms that can be present in the head and neck. Most of the complications, though, are associated with TMD. An important part of routine dental examinations and the gold standard for the diagnosis of TMD is based on the patient’s history, clinical examination and imaging when necessary. There is also a connection between airway issues, bruxism and TMD, which we will look more into because as a dentist, you will often evaluate, refer and possibly manage these issues impacting such a large percentage of the population.
Together we will learn:
- How to perform a comprehensive examination.
- How to take a pain history and what that means.
- Splint therapy for TMJ disorders.
- What you should be aware of with orofacial pain.
Hybrid TMD and Dental Sleep Medicine Course
Dates:
- Session 1: May 21-22, 2021.
- Session 2: Jun 25-26, 2021.
- Session 3: Aug 13-14, 2021.
- Session 4: Sep 10-11, 2021.
Location: 200 Ashford Center North. STE 195. Atlanta, GA 30338
Speakers: Mayoor Patel, DDS & Terry Bennett, DMD
At Ben-Pat Institute, we are excited to guide you with our new approach to dental education. Through our hybrid approach, our program allows for flexibility, convenience and travel cost savings. There are three ways to attend this course on TMD and dental sleep medicine:
Two sessions that are virtual and interactive. This means you can learn from the comfort of your own home and you won’t lose out on anything because we ensure these courses are interactive. In addition to virtual, you can join two in-person sessions for hands-on practical experiences.
The second option is to attend all sessions in a live setting. This is often because dentists feel that being in person is the best learning experience possible.
Additionally, the third option is to go all virtual! Attending all four sessions virtually from the comfort of your own home may be a more convenient and cost effective option for some dentists. However, with this option you won’t be able to participate in the hands-on learning portion of the sessions. But you will have access to a live video feed when these exercises are explained and performed.
We look forward to being your partners in advancing your dental practices to include orofacial pain and dental sleep medicine services.
