CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISORDERS/EDS

How Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Other Connective Tissue Disorders Complicate Dental Treatment

Live, Interactive Webcast Continuing Education Course – 3 Hours Credit

Instructor: Sara Mercier, RDH, BS, MAS

Course Description:

Connective tissue disorders could be more common in your dental practice than you might think. Important for the whole dental team, this course explains how Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and other connective tissue disorders – such as Lupus and Fibromyalgia – can affect jaw growth, cause joint and TMJ pain, present with tethered oral tissues and myofunctional disorders, and require more local anesthetic during dental treatment. In addition to making a patient more susceptible to infection, some of these conditions are also associated with congenital periodontitis.

EDS is particularly underdiagnosed and many patients are unaware they are affected. The awareness of dental staff can be critical to pointing patients in the right direction to seek further evaluation. In this course, dental providers will learn how to adapt treatment for patients with EDS and other hypermobility conditions to ensure patient safety. By implementing screening tools and knowing what to look for, dental professionals can more effectively treat patients with these disorders.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, attendees will be able to:

• Define Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and its types
• Accommodate EDS patients in your dental practice 
• Understand how EDS is diagnosed 
• Identify oral and systemic effects of EDS 
• Recognize correlations between EDS and OMDs 
• Compare EDS to other connective tissue disorders

About Live, Interactive Continuing Education Webinars

A live, interactive webinar is similar to attending a continuing education seminar in your community, except that you attend via your computer. Each course is done live in a format that allows your participation. Anyone who has access to a computer that can play sound can participate in an ACES webinar. No special computer knowledge or equipment is required to participate in our webinars. When you enroll in any ACES course, you will be sent an email with complete information on how to join the webinar and a copy of the course syllabus. At the conclusion of your live webinar, you will complete a course examination online. You will then be able to print your continuing education certificate from your computer.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships:
Instructor: Sara Mercier – No relevant financial relationship to report Education
Advisory Committee (EAC): Members of the EAC have no relevant financial relationships to report
ACES ownership and staff: No relevant financial relationship to report

Advanced Continuing Education Systems is an ADA CERP Recognized provider for dental continuing education. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

Advanced Continuing Education Systems designates this activity for 3 continuing education credits.

Advanced Continuing Education Systems (Provider RP4393) has been approved by the Dental Board of California as a provider of dental continuing education.