METLIFE enhances its dental continuing education program with five new quality resources guides

NEW YORK . – MetLife, the largest administrator of dental benefit plans among all single commercial carriers, providing dental plan administration for over 21 million people, announced today, the addition of five quality resource guides to its dental continuing education program. The MetLife program, which is recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA) and Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), has new guides available that focus on: 1) Cardiovascular Conditions Encountered in Dental Practice 2nd Edition, 2) Clinical Considerations for Cone Beam Imaging in Dentistry, 3) Management of Malocclusion and Skeletal Problems, 4) Management of Patients with Common Medical Conditions 2nd Edition and 5) Periodontal Regeneration. The courses can be completed for continuing education credits and are available online at www.metdental.com.

“MetLife is proud that its dental continuing education program is recognized by the ADA and AGD. We are continually enhancing the program with new and updated information to make it easier for dental professionals to remain current on the latest research and innovative practices to help them manage their businesses for success,” said Alan Vogel, DMD, national dental director for MetLife. The company’s dental continuing education offerings are reviewed regularly by the MetLife Advisory Council who meet to assess quality data and the educational needs of participants in the MetLife Preferred Dentist Program (PDP).

Dentists in the PDP network and their hygienists receive continuing education credits for MetLife’s educational offerings at no charge. Dentists and hygienists who are not a part of the PDP also have access to the offerings, but will be assessed a nominal fee for educational credits.

The latest five Quality Resource Guides include:

1) Cardiovascular Conditions Encountered in Dental Practice 2nd Edition
Written by Frank C. Nichols, DDS, PhD, professor in the Department of Periodontology of the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, this guide addresses not only the most recent advances in the pathology and management of cardiovascular conditions, but also their implications for dental therapy. The guide highlights the importance of having a dialogue with the physician responsible for the management of the patient’s cardiovascular disease and the treating dentist.

2) Clinical Considerations for Cone Beam Imaging in Dentistry
Since its introduction in 1999, Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) has quickly become a popular method throughout the world for obtaining supplemental diagnostic images of the head and neck region. William C. Scarfe, BDS, FRACDS, MS and Allan G. Farman, BDS, PhD, DSC, of the School of Dentistry, University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, designed this guide to assist dentists in understanding the principles of CBCT imaging and recognizing the areas of dentistry where CBCT technology may be used to enhance diagnosis and/or guide therapy.

3) Management of Malocclusion and Skeletal Problems
Written by Mitchell Lipp, DDS, a clinical assistant professor at New York University College of Dentistry and George Cisneros, DMD, MMSc, professor and chair, Department of Orthodontics at New York College of Dentistry, this guide is designed to assist the dentist in systematically assessing malocclusion and/or skeletal problems and the risk factors that contribute to their severity. This guide discusses the creation of a treatment plan that coordinates all phases of dental care in line with the orthodontic considerations. Check sheets and sample assessment forms will assist the dentist in collecting the appropriate clinical information and answering the patient’s/parent’s questions.

4) Management of Patients with Common Medical Conditions 2nd Edition
While consultation with a patient’s physician is very important for understanding of the pathology and management of patients with certain medical diseases and their implications for dental therapy, a common complaint from dentists has been the lack of literature that contains practical advice. Frank C. Nichols, DDS, PhD, has addressed this complaint by writing a guide that limits information on the pathogenesis of common medical conditions to the essentials, while focusing on patient management. The guide deals with common non-cardiovascular conditions and focuses on the management of the patient before, during and after a dental procedure.

5) Periodontal Regeneration
Authored by Sebastian G. Ciancio, D.D.S., distinguished service professor and chairman in the Department of Periodontics and Endodontics and director of the Center for Dental Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, this guide takes a comprehensive approach to the regeneration (new bone, cementum and periodontal ligament) of the periodontal attachment apparatus as well as the soft tissues of the periodontium. Recent systematic reviews form the basis for identifying those clinical circumstances and therapies most likely to result in regeneration as opposed to repair through the formation of a long junctional epithelium. Currently available bone and gingival grafting materials are discussed and compared, including the role of guided tissue regeneration.

For additional information about MetLife’s dental continuing education program, visit www.metdental.com.