Page 31 - CE Booklet 2025

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$349 for non-AGD Members

“Three Drugs Classes every dentist should know!”

Clinical pharmacology studies the effects of drugs and their use for preventive, diagnostic and
therapeutic purposes. In this lecture I will review the three common classes of drugs used in
the daily dental practice. We will discuss local anaesthetics, its mechanism of action, onset and
duration of action and adverse effects and potential complications associated with its use.
Also, we will review the analgesics most commonly used in dentistry namely, acetaminophen,
NSAIDs and opioids. In this section, I will discuss the adverse effects, common drug
interactions and recommended dosages. Finally, anti-infectives most used will be discussed.

• Understand the mechanism of action of local anaesthetics, the factors that affect their
onset and duration of action and the common complication associated with their
administration.
• Be informed of the analgesics currently used in dentistry. Understand the various adverse
effects and drug interactions relevant to dentistry.
• Understand the rational use of anti-infective agents in dentistry, both in terms of the
management of existing orofacial infections and for prophylaxis against the development
of bacterial endocarditis or other infection post treatment.

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