“Our Patients Living with Neurodegeneration” with Joy Poskozim, DDS, FSCD, CDP

Explore the early signs of dementia versus manifestations of normal aging. Illuminate the bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease, including how proper oral hygiene may lessen Alzheimer’s symptoms, as well as slow down the progression of this disease. Discover the flexibility of virtual technology (teledentistry) in conducting remote, problem-focused evaluations. Recognize the inherent communication challenges and tips for honing verbal skills. Identify the essential records and documentation to keep in the patient’s record. Feel good about providing the best oral care to ensure your patient is comfortable, they can eat, swallow, and feel good about smiling. Dentists can continue treatment to their patients as they transition to becoming long-term care facility patients by providing Directors of Nursing with what is in their mouths.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and explore the challenges of aging.
• Recognize the various types of dementia, how each type physically manifests, and the associated oral hygiene care challenges and oral health issues.
• Discover the role that periodontitis plays in dementia’s progression.
• Develop enhanced communication techniques to increase patient cooperation.
• Learn how to use technology to assess patients’ conditions via images.
• Specify the appropriate documentation for the patient’s record.
• Explore the pharmacologic treatment and cognitive enhancers approved for Alzheimer's disease and drugs that can make dementia worse.
• Discuss the roles and responsibilities of the emergency contact, custodial parent, and joint custody, and their legal authority to act on the patient’s behalf.
• Gain strategies for working in partnership with referring dentists, primary care physicians, caregivers, and families to determine the best treatment for each patient.
• Preventive and regenerative strategies.