Dr. Mark Donaldson
Lecture Synopsis
This one-day lecture is designed to illustrate how uniting the medical, dental, and pharmaceutical fields ultimately leads to “Better Medicine, Better Dentistry.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to go to a continuing education program that gives you the tools to be more successful starting on Monday morning? Wouldn’t it be great to be known as the dentist who offers excellent pain-free, post-operative care without the use of narcotics? Wouldn’t you like to be more confident in all of your prescription writing, knowing that you are on the cutting edge, that you are evidence-based and that you are guideline-driven? This is that program.
In addition to analgesic and antibiotic prescribing, the use of oral benzodiazepines such as triazolam and lorazepam (with or without nitrous oxide) for the diminution of perioperative anxiety and fear in dental patients will also be reviewed. Provincial Colleges have changed or developed new standards outlining the training and equipment needed for in-office anxiolysis and minimal sedation. These topics including the use of inherently safe drugs, the use of pulse oximetry, and the availability of emergency equipment including pharmacologic antagonists will also be discussed.
Finally, now more than ever, dental professionals are faced with the additional challenge of treating patients’ oral health needs in the face of recently deregulated cannabinoids and potential illicit drug use such that the simple approach to,
“drilling and filling” has just been cranked up a few more notches. Since substance abuse and dependence affects one in ten Canadians, this means one in ten of your patients – do you know current best practices in keeping you, your Team and your patients safe?
This interactive program looks at the appropriate prescribing of analgesics, antibiotics and sedatives with a particular focus on the dental realm. The impact of cannabinoids and illicit drugs will also be highlighted and case studies will augment the delivery of key points with a problem-based learning approach so that each participant’s questions are addressed.
Biography
Mark Donaldson received his baccalaureate degree from the University of British Columbia and his Doctorate in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Washington. He has practiced as a clinical pharmacy specialist, clinical coordinator and director of pharmacy services at many healthcare organizations in both Canada and the United States. He is currently Associate Principal of Clinical Pharmacy for Vizient’s Advisory Solutions, and lives in Whitefish, Montana. Dr. Donaldson is a Clinical Professor at the University of Montana, Clinical Associate Professor at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, and affiliate faculty in Dentistry at UBC. He has lectured internationally to both dental and medical practitioners focusing on dental pharmacology and therapeutics and is a leader in the field.
Dr. Donaldson has published numerous peer-reviewed worksand textbook chapters. He serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Dental Association and is the 2016 recipient of the Academy of General Dentistry’s Dr. Thaddeus Weclew Award. In 2019 he was conferred by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) with the “Special Friend of Canadian Dentistry Award.” This award is given to an individual outside of the dental profession in appreciation for exemplary support or service to the profession as a whole. He can be reached via email at: drmarkdonaldson@gmail.com
