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Providing exceptional dental care goes beyond the procedure. At Pristine Periodontics and Implants, our Birmingham dentist strives to provide individuals with comfortable and positive dental experiences. As an advocate of continuing education, Dr. Sayed is dedicated to helping other dentists in the greater Birmingham region complete continuing education courses that have direct benefits for their patients. Most recently, our Birmingham dentist offered a Pain Management seminar for local dentists.
Taught by Dr. Carl Roehling, participants explored how pain is classified, identification factors, and how to best treat different forms of pain in different patients.
Why Pain Management Matters
As a patient, successful pain management isn’t as simple as taking a pill or being numbed during a procedure. Effective dentists know that to provide the best treatment possible, it’s important that we identify the source of pain and work through alternative treatments before immediately prescribing the highest dosage opioid. In light of the recent increases in drug overdose throughout the country, knowing how to diagnose and manage post-surgery or chronic pain correctly is especially crucial.
The Pain Ladder
During the Pristine Periodontics Pain Management Seminar, we focused on helping dentists better understand the WHO ladder for pain management. Developed in 1986 by the World Health Organization, the “pain” or “analgesic” ladder gives healthcare providers a guideline for where to start when treating pain. The ladder starts with common, low dosage over the counter drugs and gradually increases to strong opioids.
The ladder system of pain management offers several distinct benefits. For starters, by giving medication at regular intervals and only when the initial dosage has not provided relief, patients are only exposed to potentially addictive medications as needed. Additionally, since medication is given continuously rather than only when pain spikes, patients are able to better manage their pain with lower, more frequent doses rather than relying on larger, higher dosages that can wear off quickly.
What’s Next at Pristine Periodontics?
Over the years, our Birmingham dental practice has been recognized by patients and local dentists as a home for advanced care and education. In addition to our Pain Management Seminar, our team also recently hosted a Human Trafficking Training Seminar.
Presented by Care House of Oakland County, this course focused on helping dentists and hygienists better understand and identify the warning signs of human trafficking of adults and minors. Offered at two separate sessions, this seminar was especially eye-opening for many dental professionals in understanding how common human trafficking is in Michigan. Even more importantly, this course better helped dental providers understand how critical our role is in removing victims from the trafficking system.
In the coming months, our team will be hosting a number of continuing education seminars. Be sure to follow our blog for updates and reach out to our periodontist in Birmingham for additional details. We look forward to seeing you!