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TWO SESSIONS!

EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING: THE CORNERSTONE OF A PROFESSION

and

ORAL SYSTEMIC LINKS: WHAT DO WE TELL OUR PATIENTS

Dr. Salme Lavigne, RDH

Session Date:  Friday October 24, 2025

Session Time:  8:30 AM – 12 PM

Presenter Name: Dr. Salme Lavigne, RDH

TWO SESSIONS! 

OUTLINE: EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING: THE CORNERSTONE OF A PROFESSION

The cornerstone of any profession is the body of knowledge that supports the most current research. Dental hygiene is no different as the patients we serve look to us for advice and trust us for both treatment and home care recommendations. Results of a recent White Paper published by the IFDH reporting on results of 5 separate surveys of dental hygienists practicing in their 34 member countries had disappointing results.
Use of current evidence for homecare recommendations was surprisingly only between 41- 52%. Thus, this course revisits some basic tenets of Evidence-Based-Decision-Making (EBDM) and provides examples of how best to stay current with research and how to interpret the evidence in order to best advise our patients.  

Course Objectives 

  • Be familiar with the outcomes of the IFDH White Paper. 
  • Understand the role of dental hygienists’ in making evidence-based homecare recommendations 
  • Identify the basic principles of EBDM. 
  • Explain the levels of scientific evidence and how they relate to research design. 
  • Identify on-line search tools available to find applicable research evidence.  
  • Describe how to interpret the research evidence. 
  • Discuss how to identify misinformation. 
  • Explain how to make impactful evidence-based recommendations. 

OUTLINE: ORAL SYSTEMIC LINKS: WHAT DO WE TELL OUR PATIENTS? 

Research has been conducted for over 30 years on proposed relationships between periodontal disease and numerous systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases etc. However, the nature of these relationships has not always been clearly described or understood resulting in oral health professionals inadvertently giving their patients inaccurate information. As research continues to evolve, having a clear understanding of the most current state of the evidence for these relationships can play a significant role in educating your patients.
There are currently 57 diseases being researched that are suspected of having some form of relationship with periodontal disease. This course will help you to relay accurate information to your patients about the nature of these linkages and how maintenance of periodontal health can have an influence on their overall health.

Course Objectives 

  • Discuss some common misconceptions about the nature of relationships between oral and systemic diseases.
  • Describe the difference between “association” and “causation”.
  • Discuss the current state of the evidence for proposed associations between periodontal disease and: cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive decline, inflammatory cancers, and others.
  • Discuss the most plausible explanation for these associations.
  • Discuss how maintaining good periodontal health can have a positive influence on overall health.
  • Develop educational strategies that will help to provide accurate information to your patients regarding oral-systemic relationships.

About The Speaker

Dr. Salme Lavigne, RDH graduated with a Diploma in Dental Hygiene from the University of Toronto and began her clinical career at Toronto Western Hospital where she first developed her passion for oral-systemic connections.  After spending several years in clinical practice, she began to pursue an academic career: first as the founding Director of the dental hygiene program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario followed by accepting a position at Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) as an Associate Professor & Chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene and finally, Professor & Director, School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Manitoba.

Currently, she holds the title of Senior Scholar at the  University of Manitoba and is the Scientific Editor of the Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene (CJDH). In addition to her Diploma in Dental Hygiene, she holds a BA in Biomedical Anthropology (Lakehead University), a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene Education (University of Missouri-Kansas City) and a PhD in Community Health Sciences & Epidemiology (Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba).

Salme is the recipient of Alumni of Distinction Awards from the University of Toronto as well as the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry and received the Life Membership Award from the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. Salme has authored three textbook chapters, has over 75 publications in both national and international peer reviewed journals and has delivered over 120 continuing education presentations in Canada, the US, Scandinavia, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, China and South Africa. Her research interests lie in periodontics; oral-systemic health connections; the oral microbiome; and community health.  

 

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