Act 124 - Evidence Based Analgesia and Opioid-Sparing Strategies for Dental Professionals
Presented by Elliot V. Hersh, DMD, MS, PhD, a Professor of Pharmacology/Oral Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine who has published more than 175 scientific articles, abstracts and book chapters in the areas of dental pharmacology, drug interactions, analgesics and local anethesia. His clinical research in the areas of acute postsurgical pain control and local anesthesia played an important role in FDA approval of many products. Dr. Hersh does not have any relevant financial relations to disclose.
This lecture will fulfill the Act 124 CE requirement for PA licensed dentists with a DEA registration.
Education Method: PowerPoint, lecture, Q and A.
Dr. Hersh will identify the potential problem in prescribing opioids for dental postsurgical pain and other painful dental conditions; discuss the behavior of the "drug seeking patient" and the prescription opioid abuse problem. The biochemical and physiological mechanisms behind post-surgical dental pain will be reviewed. The lecture also will include a discussion of various double-blind randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of various analgesic agents following the surgical removal of impacted third molar teeth. The final portionof the course will focus on meta-analysis data for various analgesics in both dental pain and other post-surgical pain models. "In other words...which analgesics consistently lead the pack and which are consistently dogs."
Upon completion of the course, the participant will:
- Discuss what can happen with even short-term exposure to opioids.
- List various peripheral chemical mediators that contribute to post-surgical dental pain.
- Compare the analgesic efficacy of NSAIDs to single entity oral opioids in randomized placebo controlled double-blind oral surgery pain studies.
- Compare the short-term side effect profile of NSAIDs versus opioids.
- Discuss the potential opioid-sparing effect of combining and NSAID with acetaminophen and of employing 0.5% bupivavaine plus 1:200,000 epinephrine post-surgically.
- Discuss meta-analysis data on the numbers needed treat (NNT) to obtain one additional patient with at least 50% maximum pain relief beyond the placebo treatment.
DATE: Wednesday, January 27, 2027
TIME: 7 - 9 p.m. Live Webinar on Zoom
FEES: $30 - PDA/ADA member dentists and non-dentist dental team members (hygienists, EFDAs or non-licensed team members); $90 - Non-member dentists
CE CREDIT: 2 CE Credits required for dentists, hygienists and EFDAs. Appropriate for non-licensed team members
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 25, 2027
Cancellation policy: No refunds.
What to expect for this virtual course:
Beginning January 19, attendees will receive an email with a link to provide their name and email address to register with Zoom and receive a personalized link to join the webinar. Each attendee must watch the program on their own device and use a device that allows you to view and hear the presentation. Please note that the emails with the link to join the webinar will come from Rebecca Von Nieda (no-reply@zoom.us). We will track attendance and award CE credit. If we do not have your name on the attendance report generated after the virtual meeting, you will not receive credit for the course.
To register online please follow these steps:
Non-dentist dental team members who are not attending the course with a dentist should contact PDA for a username and password. If you create your own account, you could be charged the wrong amount.
1. Sign in to the website. Every dentist has a record. If you need assistance with your username and password, please contact membership@padental.org.
2. Click the Register Myself button. Pricing will be applied based on your member status.
3. To register non-dentist (hygienists, assistants or non-licensed guests) attendees for the course, select the number of non-dentist registrants who will attend with you and click the Add button. Provide their name and a unique email address for each additional attendee. Skip this step if no non-dentist dental team members are attending with you.
4. Click Proceed to Checkout to review your order and enter your credit card information.
5. Click Submit Order to complete your registration.
Pennsylvania Dental Association is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education.
ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
PDA designates this activity for two (2) continuing education credits.