In accordance with the Massachusetts Board of Registration’s guidelines for the delivery of local anesthesia by registered dental hygienists, this course will cover the principles in local anesthesia and pain control in dentistry. This course meets the requirements to take the North East Regional Board (NERB) examination required for licensure, and will cover relevant head and neck anatomy and neurophysiology, as well as pharmacological aspects and indication of the local anesthetics. Detailed discussion of injection techniques and patient positioning will be presented before injections are performed. Participants will also learn medical and legal issues surrounding the delivery of local anesthesia.

The course will be divided into three segments: online self-study, two days of didactic lecture, and two days of clinical sessions. All participants will receive a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the course.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course participants will have learned:

»	Medical History and physical evaluation procedures
»	Pharmacology of local anesthesia and vasoconstrictors
»	Anatomy of the head, neck and oral cavity
»	Indications and contraindications for administration of local anesthesia
»	Selection and preparation of armamentaria and record keeping for administering local anesthesia
»	Medical and legal management of complications
»	Recognition and management of post-injection complications
»	Infection control and sharps disposal techniques
»	Managements of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of medical emergencies
»	Methods of administering local anesthetic agents

Course Setup

For the online segment of the course, participants will complete a self-study via the course web site. The web site will include sections for each topic required, complete with photos and illustrations to accompany the text. This portion of the course introduces the theoretical knowledge of Anesthesia in an interactive and virtual environment. Note: Participants must complete this portion of the course before attending the didactic and clinical sessions.

The lecture days will offer a review of the online information and provide a more in-depth explanation of the topics. Instructors will also answer questions regarding web content for the course. The instructors will cover each major topic needed to understand and administer local anesthesia, including:

The clinical days will include a review of materials, infection control techniques and patient evaluation. Under the supervision of clinical instructors, participants will then take part in hands-on sessions to learn methods of administering local anesthetic agents with emphasis on technique and minimum effective dosage.

Instructors

	Ruben Figueroa DMD Private Oral Surgery Practice, Orlando, Florida
	Kasumi Barouch DMD, PHD Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontology and Oral Biology Clinical Assistant Professor, Center for Implantology Goldman School of Dental Medicine Boston University
	Whitney R. Powers PhD Professor Emeritus, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Boston University School of Medicine

Contact and Registration