The UMSOD Office of Continuing Education offers nearly 400 hours of continuing dental education courses each year. We are dedicated to lifelong learning and strive to provide continuing education programs that will have an immediate impact on your ability to provide excellent patient care and grow your practice.

Check this site often, as more courses are added frequently.

Have a question? Email umsodce@umaryland.edu or call 410-706-2282. We hope to see you at an upcoming course.

• Online Proper Pharmacologic Prescribing and Disposal for Dental Practitioners
  In partnership with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry is offering the continuing education course "Proper Pharmacologic Prescribing and Disposal for the Dental Practitioner", online. This is a two (2) hour continuing education course.
  
  This course is approved by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.
  
  Once you have registered and accessed the online course, no refund will be provided.
  
  
• Online Drugs For Treatment of a Substance Use Disorder (Medication Access and Training Expansion Course (MATE)) 
  This 2-hour course is structured as two credits towards the new eight-hour DEA requirement for any practitioner with a DEA license or new applicants for the same. The objective for this new DEA requirement, as per the DEA website, is to “promote understanding of SUDs as well as their identification, treatment, and management”.
  
  This continuing dental education course focuses on equipping dental professionals with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage patients with opioids and other substance use disorders (SUDs). Participants will gain insights into the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of substance disorders.
  

  This course is approved by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.

  Once you have registered and accessed the online course, no refund will be provided.

• Online Treatment and Management of Patients with Opioid or Other Substance Use Disorders – Part 1

  This 2-hour course is structured as two credits towards the new eight-hour DEA requirement for any practitioner with a DEA license or new applicants for the same. The objective for this new DEA requirement, as per the DEA website, is to “promote understanding of SUDs as well as their identification, treatment, and management”.

  In December 2022, the U.S. Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that included the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. This new law requires prescribers of controlled substances, including dentists, to complete eight hours of one-time training on safely prescribing controlled substances (Schedules II, III, IV, and/or V) in order to receive or renew their registration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

  This new requirement goes into effect on June 27, 2023.

  This new DEA requirement is only a one-time training requirement.

  This continuing dental education course is meant to aid dental practitioners in their understanding of the scope of substance use disorder, how it affects our community, and how we can make a difference in decreasing its devastating effects. 

  Outline:

  1. Describe the background of the current opioid epidemic.
  2. Describe what the DEA and FDA are doing to help decrease deaths from the opioid epidemic.
  3. List commonly abused legal and illegal medications implicated in substance use disorder.
  4. Describe the current accepted criteria for substance use disorder.
  5. Understand how to use screening tools to help identify patients who may have a substance use disorder.
  6. Describe the factors that predispose to substance use disorder.

• Online Implicit Bias
  To support clinicians and members of the oral health team in advancing health equity and promoting population-level health, this course is designed to explore how bias influences health outcomes with a specific focus on vulnerable and historically excluded populations. This course will immerse oral health professionals in an educational journey that goes beyond numbers and epidemiological data to introspection and reflection of personal biases and exploration of differences among the professional’s race, ethnicity, and cultural norms to those of patients serviced. At the end of the course, participants will be able to lead, contribute and participate in organizational practices and changes across the culture of dentistry in supporting population-level oral health outcomes and promoting oral health equity. Moreover, participants will leave the course with resources to support inclusion in their clinical practice. This course will discuss implicit bias, the effects of structural and systemic racism, and strategies to address using effective communication techniques presented in modules within the curriculum.

  This course is approved by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.

  Once you have registered and accessed the online course, no refund will be provided.

• Online Antibiotic Premedication and Published Recommendations
  

  Every decade or so since 1955 the American Heart Association (AHA) has reviewed previous recommendations relative to antibiotic premedication in patients undergoing medical or dental surgery. This course describes the latest review by the AHA published in 2021 on antibiotic premedication to prevent infective endocarditis.

  In addition, part 2 of the course describes the latest publications on the orthopedic implant patient undergoing invasive dental procedures and the published position statements from the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in prevention of prosthetic joint infection. After completing these two parts, the clinician will be up to date on the most recent published guidelines relative to both categories of patients. 

• Management Of the Airway and Emergencies of The Sedated Patient in Your Dental Office
  

  Are you and your team prepared if a medical emergency occurred during your patient’s dental procedure?

  This course will be given in the providing dentist’s office with their staff. We will come to you and bring manikins, monitors, and practice medications to simulate sedation emergencies. During this course we will use a combination of your emergency resources and equipment along with the equipment we will bring.

  This is a participatory course that will include a short didactic component, but largely focus on the management of common as well as rare events in the dental office. The participants will all have an opportunity to practice airway skills, oxygen administration, and administration of emergency drugs to the manikins during simulated emergencies.

  This training will count toward a class 1, 2, or 3 sedation and general anesthesia permit renewal, and the requirement for a course in airway and emergencies. We follow an outline of the requirements to obtain a sedation/anesthesia permit in most states.

  Our team is prepared to review either adult or pediatric emergencies. 

  Maximum registration is eight (8) participants per office. 

• Reducing Post-Operatory Sensitivity Through Adequate Bonding Procedures 
  

  In this presentation we will discuss possible technical mistakes that lead to post-operative sensitivity and how to avoid them, focusing on total etch and self-etch techniques.

• Gerald M. Bowers Study Club Symposium

  Implant dentistry is continuously evolving, offering new and more predictable forms of therapy with minimally invasive protocols. Innovation in techniques now allow for better esthetics, decreased treatment times, and greater patient comfort.  However, these new techniques and therapies continue to raise questions and concerns regarding the risk and rewards of each.  Specifically, there remains some controversy regarding whether immediately placing a dental implant into an extraction socket is beneficial to survival and esthetic outcomes.
  
  This lecture will address current concepts in the management of Type 1 and 2 sockets (intact or sockets with dentoalveolar defects). 

• Advances and Challenges of Digital Dentistry for Dental Implant Surgeries 
  

  This presentation will allow dentists to become familiar with the digital workflow, with an emphasis on the implementation of the additive manufacturing, namely 3D printing technology for dental implant surgeries. The various 3D technologies (FDM, SLA and DLP) and their pros and cons will be discussed. Various clinical scenarios will be presented to demonstrate advantages and challenges of digital technologies.

• Medication Access and Training Expansion Course (MATE)
  

  In December 2022, the U.S. Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that included the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. This new law requires prescribers of controlled substances, including dentists, to complete eight hours of one-time training on safely prescribing controlled substances (Schedules II, III, IV, and/or V) in order to receive or renew their registration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

  This new DEA requirement goes into effect on June 27, 2023, and is only a one-time training requirement.

  This 6-hour course plus the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners 2-hour Proper Pharmacologic Prescribing and Disposal for Dental Practitioners course (required every other renewal cycle whether you prescribe or not) equals the 8hr DEA requirement to obtain or renew DEA registration.

• Why are your patients angry and fearful and what can you do about it? 
  Relational leadership, narrative leadership, and emotional intelligence are evident in highly effective, smoothly running, and cohesive teams. Learn how to put these elements to work in your unit and beyond.
• Medical History Taking in Dental Patients 
  Dental patients may present with complex medical history of past and current illnesses which may impact delivery of dental care. This course will describe the importance of taking a thorough medical history and how it may impact dental therapy, alter treatment plans and perhaps even avoid medical emergencies.

• Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists 
  

  The Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners (MSBDE) adopted rules and regulations which allow properly trained registered dental hygienists to monitor and administer local anesthesia, including a mandibular block during dental related procedures. This course fulfills MSBDE educational requirements for registered dental hygienists.

  Through a combination of lecture and hands-on lab work, participants will gain skills in the implementation of local anesthesia.  

  Attendees will participate in a two days of didactic learning, including hands-on demonstrations, followed by a written examination. On the third day participants will administer local anesthesia to a lab partner including proficiency testing. Course work includes readings and a homework assignment. Course participants must pass the written and proficiency clinical examination with a 75 or greater. This course prepares the participant to successfully pass the CDCA written local anesthesia examination for certification by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.

• Material Selection in Fixed Prosthodontics
  This course is designed to cover history and evolution of dental materials as well as contemporary dental materials including restorative materials, cements, bonding agents. Fundamentals and clinical application of these materials in daily practice will be covered.
• Lesion Sterilization and Tissue Repair (LSTR) 
  This course aims to inform dental practitioners of an emerging alternative treatment to pulpectomies and extractions for non-vital primary teeth called lesion sterilization and tissue repair (LSTR).
• Nitrous Oxide Administration and Monitoring for the Dental Hygienist 
  The Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners (MSBDE) adopted rules and regulations which allow properly trained registered dental hygienists to monitor and administer nitrous oxide sedation during dental-related procedures. This course fulfills MSBDE educational requirements for registered dental hygienists.
• Lasers in Dentistry—Come and See the Light
  This lecture will consist of an overview of laser fundamentals including tissue interaction and safety; a brief description of different available lasers; and many clinical case applications for treatment of both soft and hard tissues. Procedures such as oral surgery, restorative dentistry, and periodontics will be shown and explained. Current literature citations will also be included. Questions and discussion are highly encouraged.
• Implicit Bias
  To support clinicians and members of the oral health team in advancing health equity and promoting population-level health, this course is designed to explore how bias influences health outcomes with specific focus on vulnerable and historically excluded populations. This course will immerse oral health professionals in an educational journey that goes beyond numbers and epidemiological data to introspection and reflection of personal biases and exploration of differences among the professional’s race, ethnicity, and cultural norms to those of patients serviced. At the end of the course, participants will be able to lead, contribute and participate in organizational practices and changes across the culture of dentistry in supporting population-level oral health outcomes and promoting oral health equity. Moreover, participants will leave the course with resources to support inclusion in their clinical practice.

  Participants will have the opportunity to discuss implicit bias, the effects of structural and systemic racism and strategies to address using effective communication techniques presented in modules within the curriculum.

• Update on Local Anesthesia: Newer Concepts and Clinical Dilemmas 
  The presentation is designed to give dentists and hygienists who administer local anesthesia an update  on some newer concepts including buffering agents, intranasal tetracaine and long-acting injectables. The second portion of the presentation will discuss various clinical dilemmas and useful pearls that practitioners typically encounter in everyday practice.

• A Functional Approach to Disability and Oral Health – Transforming Theory into Practice
  While most individuals with disabilities have traditionally been treated by Paediatric dentists, it is important for these individuals to have a regular dental home, even as they transition into adulthood. The Canadian Dental Association along with the Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health have used the functional model of disability to develop a Case Complexity Tool and a Transition tool to help clinicians integrate special care dentistry into their practices. This course aims to familiarize participants with the concept of the WHO-ICF and how these classifications can be used to objectively assess case- complexity and pro.vision of dental care outside a hospital setting.
• Managing Noncarious Cervical Lesions 
  This course will offer a complete discussion of NCCLs, covering all the clinical aspects with the best evidence available. The different etiological factors will be presented, focusing on their role in lesion development and progression. The course will also cover the risk factors, relation to dentin hypersensitivity, strategies to prevent, and protocols for the comprehensive management/treatment of NCCLs.
• A Prosthetic Approach in Implant Dentistry! 
  The upcoming presentations will discuss various prosthetic consideration of implant-supported prosthesis. A step-by-step detailed prosthetic steps including impression techniques, selection of the abutments and provisionalization will be discussed to help all dental implant practitioners in making of an optimal treatment plan for each case reaching a prosthetically driven implant placement outcome.
• 5 Things You Need to Know About Smoking Cessation 
  This course will discuss the consequences of smoking to oral and general health ant the types of tobacco currently in use.
• Practical Pharmacology: Concepts in Local Anesthesia 
  A review of the basic pharmacology and current concepts of local anesthetics in dental medicine.
• Building the Dentist/Patient Relationship: Using Evidence to Inform Practice 
  This evidence-based presentation will discuss the science behind the dentist/patient relationship, and what factors are most meaningful in fostering rapport leading to positive oral health outcomes. 

• Temporo-mandibular Joint Disorders
  This presentation is aimed at general dentists as well as specialists. The objective is to give an overview of conditions that affect the TMJ and the masticatory muscles.
• CBCT Systematic Interpretation of Anatomy, Benign, and Malignant Pathology of Maxillary Sinuses 
  Interactive CBCT lecture with a review of multiple cases to depict anatomy and pathological changes observed in Maxillary sinuses. Review of normal and variant anatomy with respect to dental implant treatment planning. 
• Sensory Informed Pediatric Practice: Dental Professionals Course 
  Sensory Processing Disorder is more prevalent in children than autism, and as common as ADHD. Understanding SPD will help you make adjustments in your practice, to increase positive outcomes.
• Management of endodontic complications following dental trauma 
  Management of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) often poses a clinical challenge that affects dentist, patients, and their families. Treatment of TDI sequalae can be complex, time consuming, expensive, and often requires multidisciplinary collaboration. Through a series of clinical case presentations, this session will show the role of the endodontist in the diagnosis and management of complications of TDI through incorporation of the dental trauma guidelines, contemporary literature, and clinical experience.

• Porcelain/Composite Laminate Veneers/Clinical Hints
  What could be more rewarding in life rather than to be able to enhance individuals' lives, boosting up their confidence, giving them a reason to Smile, and with the same token, having a fun and fulfilling carrier. Aesthetic Dentistry is the Key!

  The goal of this course is to review these principles in a systematic and organized manner.

• Vital Pulp Therapy Using Direct Pulp Caps in Permanent Teeth: An Alternative to Root Canals? 
  Vital pulp therapy (VPT) attempts to treat the infection without the complete removal of the dental pulp tissue. The purpose of this course is to explain the clinical procedures associated with vital pulp therapy, to discuss the specific cases where vital pulp therapy should and should not be used, and to touch on the success rates reported in current research.
• Pharmacology for Prescribing Dental Hygienists
  This course meets the educational requirements for registered dental hygienists to apply for recognition to prescribe and administer medication.
• Treatment Planning and Material Selection for Full Mouth Rehabilitation 
  Diagnosis and appropriate treatment planning are critical in obtaining a successful outcome. The success of full mouth rehabilitations is to meet the patient expectations in esthetics, phonetics, form and function. A myriad of factors that need to be evaluated for a customized treatment plan as well as the consideration in material selection will be discussed in this course.
• Bone Grafting for the General Dentists
  Patients can lose up to 50% of the buccal lingual width after an extraction.  This remodeling can pose a problem whether a patient is to get a bridge, partial denture or implant.  The goal of this hands-on class is to introduce the practitioner to different options to prevent and treat bone loss.  We will review hard and soft tissue grafting, various materials available and various techniques and equipment necessary. 
• Removable Partial Denture Design: Putting the Pieces Together 
  This course presents the indications and contraindications for removable partial dentures (RPD) and to review RPD design principles for different partially edentulous cases.

• Emergency Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries in Children and Adolescents; What all dentists should know 
  Dr. Azadani will present an overview of traumatic injuries to the teeth with a focus on the diagnosis and emergency management of traumatized teeth. Dr. Azadani will also share clinical case examples of dental injuries and the application of the International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines to their emergency and long-term management.
• Know your patient’s TMJ complex baseline before dental procedures and manage common TMDs in a dental office 
  What is the reason that TMDs happen after dental procedures? Do we really know the patient’s TMJ complex baseline before a dental procedure? How to adjust your restoration plan to fit the patient’s TMJ complex status? How to manage common TMDs in a dental office? The knowledge and clinical skill will help you to avoid unnecessary complaints after your dental procedure, such as myalgia, arthralgia, neuralgia or chewing dysfunction.
• Cannabinoids and the Dental Patient: What do I need to know about cannabinoids that I didn't (formally) learn about in school? 
  This interactive program looks at some of these most challenging patients, their most common negative sequelae due to cannabinoid use and the management of these patients with a particular focus on the dental realm. Case studies will augment the delivery of key points and a problem-based learning approach is encouraged so that each participant’s questions are addressed. 
• Optimum Aesthetics
  Aesthetic Dentistry is the gateway to enhancing patient’s lives, and with the same token having a fun and fulfilling practice. Creating an atmosphere of relaxation by providing patients the ability to enjoy an aesthetically pleasing result, a way better personalized look, enhancing their chewing ability and simultaneously making sure the results will last long.

  A skillful practitioner needs to be familiar with dental anomalies and their treatment, concepts of color and shade matching and selection, periodontal aesthetics, role of lips and lip-line, photography and smile evaluation and treatment planning, concepts of occlusion, dental materials and selection of appropriate restorative modality, bonding to different media, phonetics, etc. that will be reviewed during this course.

• What Dentists Can Easily Miss and What they Need to Look for in CBCT Images 
  This webinar will review the application of CBCT in the general dental practice and the limitations of conventional radiographs.
• Anatomically Directed Endodontics: Ensuring Biologic and Functional Success 
  Revolutionary instruments access areas that traditional “round” NiTi cannot safely reach. After establishing a glide path, these instruments complete the cleaning to the maximum natural diameter while optimizing root strength. This conservative root treatment is completed by bioceramic root filling technology that does not shrink, wash out or require excessive preparation on the coronal third of the canal space. These new evolutionary generation of 3D cleaning files and bioceramic technologies will obviate the shortcomings of round files with legacy filling techniques.

• Composite Sense! 
  This course addresses the techniques and armamentarium needed to achieve successful outcomes in the placement of technique sensitive composites.
• Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Artificial Intelligence in Oral Medicine & Pathology
  Part 1 of the course will cover oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with an emphasis on etiology and pathogenesis, including a summary of the different genetic changes that lead to malignant transformation, not all of which involve tobacco and alcohol consumption. A review of the differential diagnosis of white, red, and mixed red-white lesions will be presented, along with helpful clinical clues that can be used to distinguish benign from malignant. Finally, human papillomavirus-induced OSCC and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL), a pre-malignant condition, will be discussed, as these entities are becoming more common in our patient populations.       
  
  Part 2 of the course will provide an introduction to the various applications of AI in the fields of Oral Medicine & Pathology and will provide an overview of limitations and ethical considerations for the currently available technologies. The audience will first be provided with several interesting oral radiology, oral medicine, and oral pathology cases and have an opportunity to compete against the AI in diagnosing these cases. Part 1 of the course will help prepare the audience to challenge some of the cases.
• Oral Surgery Update for the General Dentist 
  Whether you perform dentoalveolar procedures in your office or routinely refer to oral & maxillofacial surgeons in your community, this course will review the key pearls and pitfalls you need to know to be up to date, including fundamentals of surgical technique, potential complications, and updates in managing common problems we encounter on a regular basis. Topics reviewed will include dental extractions, infections, and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ).
• Lasers in Dentistry: An old dog with new tricks.... Foundational introduction to Surgical and Non-Surgical Laser Applications
  The purpose of this introductory lecture is to provide a current overview of laser applications in clinical dentistry based on photobiological interactions. The use of light-based technologies is fundamentally changing our dental practices from improved illumination, curing lights, optical (digital) imaging, additive and subtractive 3D printing, surgical soft and hard tissue applications, and non-surgical therapies such as anti-microbial photodynamic therapy and photobiomodulation therapy.
• Common Pitfalls in Aligner Therapy 
  This course will provide dental clinicians an overview of aligner therapy with specific focus on common problems that occur with aligner therapy including biomechanics, case selection and techniques to reduce common pitfalls.
• Nitrous Oxide Administration and Monitoring for the Dental Hygienist 
  The Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners (MSBDE) adopted rules and regulations which allow properly trained registered dental hygienists to monitor and administer nitrous oxide sedation during dental-related procedures. This course fulfills MSBDE educational requirements for registered dental hygienists.
• How Low Should You Go? Treatment of the Deep Caries Lesion 
  In this course, Dr. Maggio provides a literature review as a framework for rethinking our approach to caries as a disease. Specific guidelines will be developed for treatment of very deep lesions, small carious lesions, and recurrent caries. Many clinical cases will be presented, to directly apply this information to the dentist’s daily routine.

• Pediatric Dentistry for General Dentists - Covering Six Informative Topics
  Navigating the latest research in evidence-based dentistry can prove bewildering, requiring careful interpretation and adaptation into clinical practice. Practitioners often encounter obstacles stemming from information overload, inadequate data, or conflicting beliefs. This course will delve into current evidence surrounding caries prevention, examining non-restorative and restorative care approaches to equip attendees with enhanced tools for combatting dental disease. The curriculum extends to systemic and topical fluoride therapy for children, encompassing shifts in systemic fluoride dynamics, benefits in a reduced caries landscape, and recent clinical guidelines. Evolutions in the mechanisms of topical fluoride, particularly pertaining to metal/fluoride interactions, will also be explored. A comprehensive assessment of various fluoride therapies (including supplements, fluoridated toothpaste, and professional applications) and caries risk evaluation will aid practitioners in optimizing outcomes. Additionally, the session will provide an insightful clinician's perspective on the AAPD's pulp therapy guidelines, delving into the foundational aspects and interpretation of evidence-based findings for vital and non-vital pulp treatments in primary teeth.
  
  Throughout the course, discussions will encompass child patients affected by Odontogenic infection, commonly known as "dental infection," stemming from bacterial intrusion related to untreated dental caries, periodontal, or gingival conditions. Strategies for managing such patients' dental requirements within the operatory will be explored. The presentation will also emphasize the significance of screening tools for prevalent conditions like autism, ADHD, and depression. These tools, employed before dental examinations, serve to enrich patient experiences and optimize chair time.
• Improved knowledge and selection of biomaterials to achieve more predictable results after periodontal surgery
  This course/lecture, conducted by a clinical-scientist in the fields of periodontics and biomaterials will provide an evidence-based rationale and insight for the use of bone graft materials and barrier membranes for various periodontal surgical techniques. The course will also focus in detail upon the science and different protocols for use of these biomaterials to achieve predictable clinical results.
• Proper Pharmacologic Prescribing and Disposal | Abuse: The Regulations, and the Impact of COVID-19 | Infection Control In The Era of COVID-19 
  These courses satisfy the continuing dental education credits required for Maryland dental re-licensure in infection control, abuse and neglect, and prescription drug monitoring and disposal. For individual course descriptions click the corresponding link Proper Pharmacologic Prescribing and Disposal for Dental Practitioners, Abuse Regulations for the Dental Team: The Impact of COVID-19, and Infection Control In The Era of COVID-19: What Dental Practitioners Need to Know.
• Oral Malignancies and Mimics 
  This presentation will help in the identification of both common innocuous and the more clinically significant lesions, including atypical presentations that vary from classic textbook pictures.
• Advancements in Digital Dentistry: The benefits of implementing a digital workflow in dental practice 
  We will discuss how the use of 3D imaging, intraoral cameras, intraoral scanners, 3D printers and milling machines can be used in a dental practice with different digital workflows that will better fit to a specific practice mainly focusing on restorative dentistry and prosthodontics.
• Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists
  The Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners (MSBDE) adopted rules and regulations which allow properly trained registered dental hygienists to monitor and administer local anesthesia, including a mandibular block during dental related procedures. This course fulfills MSBDE educational requirements for registered dental hygienists.

  Through a combination of lecture and hands-on lab work, participants will gain skills in the implementation of local anesthesia.  

  Attendees will participate in a two days of didactic learning, including hands-on demonstrations, followed by a written examination. On the third day participants will administer local anesthesia to a lab partner including proficiency testing. Course work includes readings and a homework assignment. Course participants must pass the written and proficiency clinical examination with a 75 or greater. This course prepares the participant to successfully pass the CDCA written local anesthesia examination for certification by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.