Introduction

Oral health care providers are very likely caring for dental patients who are also medically compromised. This is due to a variety of reasons, such as improved medical treatment for chronic conditions, increased access to care for patients who have not seen medical/dental providers in the past, and medical advancements that have enabled patients with severe disease to experience a higher quality of life. For these reasons, it is imperative for clinicians to be knowledgeable about different medical conditions and to use guidelines developed by health professional associations when determining how to properly care for patients with medical conditions.

The goal of the course is to help oral health practitioners identify those patients who may be medically compromised and understand ways to modify dental treatment as necessary. In addition, course participants will be able to recognize drugs that are commonly used by medically compromised patients. Each section will have sample questions for the clinician to ask their patient to further establish the patient’s medical history and current status. Using that information, the oral health provider can determine whether to seek medical consultation based on the subjective and objective data that has been gathered from the heath history and patient interview. Proper recognition and management of patients who are medically compromised will be beneficial for both the patient and the practice.