2024 Esther Wilkins Symposium

Artificial intelligence (AI) is part of our everyday lives. If you use Siri, Alexa, or watch Hulu or Netflix you are using AI. AI is also becoming an integral part of today’s technology-driven dental practice. Patients and teams are using AI in a variety of ways. During this program the hygienist will review the history of AI, its uses within medicine and dentistry, and how AI can improve overall patient care and practice efficiency.

At the completion of this activity, the participant should be able to:

• Review history and basic concepts of artificial intelligence
• Recognize uses of artificial intelligence in medicine
• Examine the role of artificial intelligence in dentistry
• Compile questions to ask potential AI vendors

Ann-Marie C. DePalma, CDA, RDH, MEd, CDIPC, FADIA, FAADH, FADHA is a graduate of the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a Fellow of the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries (ADIA), a Fellow of the American Academy of Dental Hygiene (AADH), a continuous member of American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), as well as a lifetime member of the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM).

Ann-Marie is the 2017 Esther Wilkins Distinguished Alumni of Forsyth Award recipient. She has been published in dental, and dental hygiene, publications and textbooks. She is a consultant dental hygiene examiner for CDCA. She has been employed as a dental software trainer, business/clinical advisor for a national dental practice management company, and a faculty member of a dental hygiene program after having been employed in clinical hygiene for a number of years.

The information from this lecture is designed to help educate dental hygienists on the detection of orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) and to serve as a launching pad to begin integrating these concepts into clinical practice. Often, dental hygienists are faced with the downstream effects of myofunctional disorders such as orthodontic relapse, persistent mouth breathing, strong gag reflexes, and a plethora of oral/systemic conditions; many of which are not only treatable, but also preventable. However, the question often remains:

How did these patients get here? And, furthermore, what can we do to help guide them in the treatment of these conditions?

These answers lie in taking an “upstream” approach to care. In gaining an understanding of a patient’s background and the etiology of OMD’s, providers will be better able to screen, detect, and make the appropriate treatment recommendations. At the conclusion of this lecture, hygienists will feel more confident in identifying OMDs and applying simple, actionable steps in their own clinical practice.

At the completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Identify the three main functions of the orofacial complex
• Understand how soft tissue guides hard tissue development
• Identify at least one sign of dysfunction for each of the three main functions of the orofacial complex
• Describe the role of a dental hygienist in preventing and treating orofacial myofunctional disorders

Emily McCleary is a two-time Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene graduate, receiving her bachelors degree in 2011 and her master’s degree in 2018. She has spent the majority of her career working as a dental hygienist in a private practice in Lexington, MA, where she has had the privilege of developing long-term patient relationships and leading a team of dental hygienists.

Her interest and specialty lies in taking a “whole body” approach to care and using her professional curiosity to investigate the root cause of disease. This curiosity led her to further her education in orofacial myofunctional therapy in 2020, and she has since used this information to enhance her clinical practice. She is now an adjunct clinical instructor at Forsyth, working primarily with first-year dental hygiene students.

“Who cares/why should I care?”

This interactive course will answer these questions by introducing participants to the topic of disruptive behavior, defined as that which creates an uncomfortable, hostile, or unsafe environment. These behaviors have been established as a problem of practice in both healthcare education and the healthcare workplace; they are a threat to patient safety, quality of care, the physical and mental well-being of healthcare professionals, and workplace/career satisfaction.

Participants will be introduced to the forms of disruptive behavior, the common causes and impacts of these behaviors, and specific evidence-based interventions and strategies that have been identified as successful methods to “defuse” them. The relationship between self-awareness, personality and behavior, and communication in the cycle of disruptive behavior will be explored; by discussing these concepts in context, participants will have the opportunity to improve their sense of self-efficacy in identifying, coping with, and intervening with disruptive behaviors. Participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate these interventions and will receive access to an electronic “toolkit” as a resource.

At the completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Identify forms of disruptive behavior
• Describe common causes and impacts of disruptive behavior
• Describe interventions for reducing disruptive behavior
• Demonstrate the use of evidence-based interventions to mitigate disruptive behavior

Jaymi‑Lyn Adams, DHSc, MS, RDH, is a dental hygienist with over 25 years of experience. She is currently employed as an Associate Professor in the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at MCPHS. She holds undergraduate degrees in communication disorders and dental hygiene, a Master of Science in occupational and environmental health and safety, and a Doctor of Health Sciences; she is a member of the Sigma Phi Alpha, Alpha Eta, and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies.

Her professional interests include reducing disruptive behavior in the clinical learning environment, health equity, and improving global access to oral health care. Dr. Adams developed DisruptEDU, a website and virtual community for healthcare educators; from 2008 to the present, she has volunteered on yearly service trips to Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia and is dedicated to sharing her passion for service with students.

At the completion of this lecture, attendees should be able to recognize common orthodontic issues. With their exposure to a large number of the general population, dental hygienists and other professionals are in a unique position to identify orthodontic issues and refer patients for orthodontic evaluation to improve their overall health.

At the completion of this lecture, attendees should be able to identify common orthodontic issues, including: misalignment, crowding, overbite/open bite, protrusion/underbite. The presentation will discuss how orthodontic treatment can be done at any age and provide benefits to all individuals, leaving with an understanding of the oral and the systemic benefits that orthodontic treatment provides.

At the completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Understand the ideal timing for orthodontic treatment and the benefits of treatment by a specialist
• Identify the two main treatment modalities in orthodontics and understand their pros and cons
• Identify oral benefits to orthodontic treatment
• Identify systemic benefits to orthodontic treatment

Danielle London, DDS, MS, graduated valedictorian and received her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Columbia University in 2015. She then went on to receive her Masters of Science and Certificate in Orthodontics from the University of Oklahoma in 2017.

Dr. London practiced as an associate doctor at a large group practice in Oklahoma until July 2021 when she bought her own practice, London Family Orthodontics, in Bedford, New Hampshire. London Family Orthodontics is the only fully digital practice in New Hampshire. Dr. London is currently the Vice President of the Greater Manchester Dental Society and an active member in the Seattle Study Club.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Worcester Campus
10 Lincoln Square
Worcester, MA 01608

Directions

https://maps.app.goo.gl/UDnyGPbXwMt6hGpd7

Public Transit Options: The MBTA Commuter Rail Union Station, Worcester is 0.7 miles away.

Parking and Entrance Details

Complimentary on campus parking will be available to attendees. Please reference the attendee reminder emails for more details.

The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association. This event will provide 6 contact hours of continuing education.

Requirements for Credit

In order to receive credit, the participant must complete an evaluation form on mcphsce.org. Upon submission, participants will be able to print a certificate of completion.

Statement of Disclosure

Ann-Marie C. DePalma has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Emily McCleary has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Jaymi‑Lyn Adams, DHSc, MS, RDH has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Danielle London, DDS, MS has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Continuing Education staff members hold no financial relationships with ineligible companies related to the content of this presentation.

No funding from industry was provided for this event. No exhibitors will be present.