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.