Topics: Adolescent Oral Health, Cosmetic Dentistry, Digital Radiography and Dental Implants

MetLife announced today that four quality resource guides have been added to its American Dental Association (ADA) and Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) recognized dental continuing education program. The new self-study courses focus on: 1) Adolescent Oral Health: Perspectives for Dental Practitioners, 2) Cosmetic Dentistry, 3) Digital Radiography (second edition), and 4) Restoration of the Single Tooth Dental Implant. The courses are available online at www.metdental.com and can be completed for continuing education credits.

“Staying current with new ideas is important and having access to these ideas is critical for those in the dental profession, and MetLife is pleased to provide easy-to-access educational resources that can help keep the dental community current on clinical and professional developments,” said Alan Vogel, DMD, national dental director for MetLife, which is the largest administrator of dental benefit plans among all single commercial carriers, providing dental plan administration for over 21 million people.

The MetLife Dental Advisory Council provides expert guidance for the company’s Quality Initiatives Program, in which educational offerings are developed via needs assessment. The four new MetLife Dental Quality Resource Guides include:

Adolescent Oral Health: Perspectives for Dental Practitioners. Written by Deborah Studen-Pavlovich, DMD, chair and professor of the department of pediatric dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh and Dennis N. Ranalli, DDS, MDS, senior associate dean and professor of pediatric dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, this guide discusses the physical growth, hormonal changes, changing self-awareness and the expectations of peers and society that all play a role in the expression of oral diseases in adolescents and influence their treatment decisions. The shift in caries risks and patterns, the onset of periodontal diseases, questions regarding third molar removal, tooth whitening and the management of traumatic injuries are among the topics discussed in this guide. In addition, oral health problems associated with the use and misuse of common medications are included.