Course Description:

This course is worth 1 CE. This module is taken from the course Oral Sedation Recertification.

All dentists who administer oral conscious sedation want to keep their patients comfortable, happy, and safe. To reach those goals, dentists must understand the dynamics of each drug they administer. That is, they must know how the drug interacts with receptors in the body and the location of those receptors. This online course qualifies for 1 hour of CE credit that is automatically issued with a digital certificate once you have completed the program.

Drugs themselves are changed and transformed once inside the body in a process called pharmacokinetics. Taken together, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics help explain drug exposure, dosing recommendations, physiological responses, and side effects (including adverse reactions).

In this course, Dr. Feck explains how basic chemistry determines the effects of a drug. He uses a popular sedative as an example to show the path it travels to bind with a receptor, turn it on, and boost the effect of a naturally-occurring chemical. He discusses chemistry again to reveal how the body’s composition changes the dynamics of a drug.

In addition, you’ll learn:

How common physiologic changes can affect a drug’s pharmacodynamics
How altering the structure of benzodiazepines impacts the sedation process
How nerve receptors change configuration
How nerve receptors internally control consciousness
Why components are added to benzodiazepines
Why large therapeutic ranges are preferable over smaller ones
How to explain the relationship between dosage and response
Why fat-loving drugs cannot coexist peaceably with water-loving drugs

… and more.

Catch up with the science behind sedation drugs. Sedation keeps your patients comfortable, grateful, and safe.

Purchase of this course grants access for one year and requires an internet connection, computer with video and audio capabilities, and in some cases, Adobe Reader to view handouts and articles.

You can download this course and watch it anywhere using the DOCS APP. Get it on Google Play or the Apple Store.

Watch the video and complete the quiz to earn one CE credit.

Scientific support and additional resources are available here.

NOTE: Many dental boards require that a specified portion of your CE credits be via in-person attendance at live courses. Check your state's rules!