TODS FEATURED SPEAKER
OPTIMAL ORAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS FOR OUR ELDERS: CREATING PREDICTABLE OUTCOMES FOR GERIATRIC PATIENTS
Presenter: Ms. Martha Szczepulski, RDH
Session Date: Friday October 23, 2026
Session Time: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Presenter Name: Ms. Martha Szczepulski
Optimal Oral Health Solutions for our Elders: Creating Predictable Outcomes for Geriatric Patients
Refresh your knowledge and understanding of elder care in dentistry, and review techniques and strategies to make your geriatric appointments effective and enjoyable for both you and your patient. Discover in-office and home care products that support the needs of geriatric patients. We will take a fresh look at the critical role of various products that contain sodium fluoride, silver diamine fluoride, xylitol, hyaluronic acid and medical hydroxyapatite and introduce enzymatic carious dentin removal with papain gel.
Learning Objectives
- Review the oral health needs of the geriatric patient, with consideration to cognitive, physical and socio-economic challenges.
- Compare and contrast “technically ideal care” vs “rational care” for medically complex elderly patients.
- Identify common diseases in the aging population that influence oral health care.
- Identify how and when to pivot treatment goals from ideal care to rational risk reduction.
- Become familiar with in-office and home care products that support elder’s oral needs with preventive and minimally invasive strategies including:
- When and where to use to silver diamine fluoride
- Discover papain, the active ingredient in Papacarie Duo, an enzyme that selectively dissolves carious dentin, reducing the need for LA and increasing patient acceptance for restorative procedures
- Discover the multi-dimensional regulatory role of saliva and how to prioritize product recommendations for patients with dry mouth.
About The Speaker
Ms. Martha Szczepulski is a passionate dental hygienist that has also established herself as a distinguished educator and speaker in the field. Working as a dental hygienist since 2005, her professional journey has been enriched by her experiences in general and community dental practices, dental hygiene education, and mobile dental hygiene in long-term care settings. She is professional speaker at study clubs, webinars, and conventions, and recently started educating on social media.
Currently, she holds the position of Professional Education Leader at Oral Science. Martha’s approach focuses on analyzing the data to uncover the most relevant, actionable insights for dental clinicians. This is a dynamic period in dental science and innovation, and she is eager to share new technology and strategies with dental professionals.
Co-Sponsor
Creating Synergies With Leading Dental Professionals
