Mid-Continent Dental Congress - Greater St. Louis Dental Society Conference for Continuing Education

CE Credits:  3 Hour Lecture  |  Subject: Oral Medicine/Autoimmune Disease |  Recommended for: All Attendees

You would have to be living in a cave not to notice the increase in autoimmune diseases recently. Also, autoimmunity is a hallmark of post-COVID syndrome. There are currently over 100 autoimmune diseases and experts think those may only be the tip of the iceberg. Some of these diseases directly impact the oral cavity in a significant, sometimes devastating, way.  In addition, medications used to treat these conditions have important side effects and interactions the dental team needs to know to provide safe and effective care for their patients. Dr. Huffines will begin with an easy-to-understand update on how the immune system works. Then some of the most important autoimmune diseases that impact the oral cavity will be described. The medications used to treat these diseases will be reviewed and their impact on the oral cavity and other medications we prescribe will be analyzed. We will see how the new ADA antibiotic guidelines apply to these patients. Finally, attendees will be given specific recommendations on how to answer a medical consult requesting dental clearance before patients begin certain chemotherapeutic interventions. Join Dr. Huffines for a comprehensive overview of this important and rapidly developing dental field.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how the immune system works.
• Recognize how various autoimmune diseases affect the oral cavity.
• Comprehend the role of autoimmunity in post-COVID syndrome.

About the Speaker:

For over 35 years, Dr. Randy Huffines has treated older and medically complex adults in a traditional private practice, nursing homes, and hospitals. For 27 years he was Director of Geriatric Dentistry at the Quillen Medical Center in Johnson City, TN. Randy is recognized as one of the country’s leading experts on aging, medically complex patients, and oral health and is a frequent speaker at national conferences. He is a Past President and a Fellow of the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry, a Fellow of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, a Diplomate of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, Scotland.  In 2004 he was appointed to the American Dental Association’s Elder Care Task Force. He has served on the Editorial Board of two major dental drug references. Randy has held faculty appointments in colleges of dentistry, medicine, nursing, and allied health sciences. Financial Relationship – none reported.