Bacteria Gone WILD! Caries Risk Assessment, Bacterial Presence, and Treatment Modifications for the HighRisk Patient

This session is designed to consider our everyday clients and explore lifesaving elements to prevent this disease from affecting the overall health and wellness of our clients. This session begins by identifying the negative effect bacteria have on the caries process. Isolating specific treatment options for high-risk clients and determining best practices for caries risk assessment and management. We continue to connect the head back to the body and discuss how periodontitis doesn’t JUST affect the teeth and oral cavity. The session will explore the evolution of our food choices over the years, the growth and development of our bodies, and describe the three mechanisms/pathways linking oral infection to secondary systemic effects. In addition, the session will review how to incorporate nutritional counseling into periodontal assessment for the busy dental hygienist and describe effective communication skills regarding Cardiovascular Disease, Bacterial Pneumonia, Pregnancy, Diabetes and newly researched Alzheimer’s connections using easy to remember chair-side identification tools.

• Verbalizing the pathogens involved and mechanism of action.
• Identifying nutritional factors that are linked to poor nutrition and the inflammatory response
• Conducting effective nutritional assessment with clients using new methods and techniques for the digital world.