Material Detail

This lesson received an honorable mention in the 2009 SoftChalk Lesson Chalenge.

'There are numerous reasons for dental hygienists to study Pharmacology. This is a process that needs to be continued throughout a professional's lifetime. New drugs are being introduced on a regular basis as well as the use of alternative therapies which can impact day to day life.

Prior to providing any care, a dental professional should review the medical history at the beginning of each appointment. One cannot assume that everything is the same even if only a few days have passed since the last appointment. Individuals may have visited their physician in the interim and drug therapies may have changed. They may have chosen to self medicate or even forgotten to take their medications.

In any case, the dental hygienist needs to be aware of the drugs that the patients are taking in order to prepare for possible medical emergencies, identify oral conditions that may be present as a result of the drugs which may be associated with antibiotics or a number of different drugs, determining the appropriate home care procedures as would be the case with a patient taking drugs that may cause xerostomia and even to plan the best time for appointments, such as would be the case with someone with insulin dependant diabetes.

Being knowledgeable about pharmacology permits the dental hygienist to intelligently discuss the drugs and associated effects with patients and other health care professionals. In the case where a particular medication is causing a condition such as hyperplasia, the dental hygienist needs to first recognize that the condition might be a result of the drug and then educate the patient about the contributing factors that may be exacerbating the undesirable effects of the drug. Also, the dental hygienist might be able to identify that another drug that does not cause the same negative effects which could be substituted. In this situation, it might be helpful to speak with the prescribing health care professional to investigate the possibility of changing the drug regimen.

Lastly, while providing oral health care, the dental hygienist may administer drugs that can either impact the efficacy of another drug or may be contraindicated by another drug or condition, or cause a medical emergency.

As you can see, it is important to be knowledgeable about the drugs as well as the condition for which the drug is being administered.'

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