Systemic Factors Affecting Success, Failure and Prognosis In Dentistry

The pillars of dentistry that determine the success of clinical practice include accurate diagnosis and treatment plan; ensuring the longevity of the restorative/reconstructive work; adequate pain management; and predicting the influence of systemic conditions on the outcomes of dental treatment. Dental schools sort of prepare us to take a good medical history, and perform a thorough systems review, but many a times this becomes a mere bare necessity. This course is meant to take the dental clinician well beyond what most undergraduate programs (and many post-graduate programs) in dentistry teach and update our knowledge to the most current literature. It is my experience and hope that such a current update would be instrumental in ensuring the success of dental treatment, gives the clinician the satisfaction of positively influencing a patient’s life, and help to prevent falling into the abyss of the mechanically oriented professional.

Learning objectives:

• To understand the systemic factors that MOST predict failure of implants.
• To understand the red flags that warn a clinician that a proposed/desired treatment plan may fail.
• To learn the case work-up of a patient with a possible systemic condition that affects the success of the dental treatment.
• To learn about what current and emerging medications contribute to failure of endodontic treatment, grafts, implants, periodontal treatments and oral health. 
• To learn the possible systemic factors that can affect the outcomes of minor and major orthodontic treatments.
• To understand the systemic factors that can robustly affect and possibly delay oral wound healing.
• To learn the systemic factors that can significantly impact facial pain and TMDs.