2024 Catalog: All Courses

Each year, the Indian Health Service Division of Oral Health shares messages related to National Children’s Dental Health Month [NCDHM], which is in February. This year, we are focusing our messaging on glass ionomer sealants, silver diamine fluoride, and immunization screenings by oral health professionals in our IHS, tribal and urban dental programs. This message focus is on glass ionomer sealants.

Glass ionomer [GI] sealants are self-adhesive, hydrophilic [moisture tolerant], and have fluoride releasing properties. The fluoride is released from the sealant after polymerization, and continues to slowly release over time for up to 8 years. Because of these favorable properties, in 2009 the IHS Division of Oral Health began endorsing the use of GI sealants in very young children or in children or adults where moisture control cannot be achieved.

Required Reading:
Reading:
•   Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for the Use of Pit-and-Fissure Sealants [American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American Dental Association, 2016]: https://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/G_Sealants.pdf
•   Sealants for preventing and arresting pit-and-fissure occlusal caries in primary and permanent molars: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials – a report of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2016 JAMA]: https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177[16]30475-5/fulltext or https://jada.ada.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0002-817728162930475-5
•   Comparison of Clinical Efficacy of Glass Ionomer-based Sealant using ART Protocol and Resin-based Sealant on Primary Molars in Children [International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 2022]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9973092/
•   IHS ECC Collaborative: Glass Ionomer Sealants and Restorations, 2009: https://www.ihs.gov/DOH/documents/ecc/GIMaterialsHandout.pdf
•   IHS Oral Health Program Guide, Section J: Pit and Fissure Sealants, 2012: https://www.ihs.gov/doh/index.cfm?fuseaction=clinicmanagement.ohpg [in the IHS Dental Portal – Clinic section; login required]

Upon completion of this self-study reading, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the 2016 ADA/AAPD policy statement on dental sealants;
2. List the favorable properties for glass ionomer sealants; and
3. Explain when dental sealants are indicated.

Nathan Mork — Personal Description / Biography not available. For follow-up questions, please contact the speaker at nathan.mork@ihs.gov.

Timothy Ricks — Personal Description / Biography not available. For follow-up questions, please contact the speaker at tim.ricks@ihs.gov.

The speaker has no conflicts of interest to report. Dr. Tim Ricks serves as the IHS Oral Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Consultant. You may reach Dr. Ricks at tim.ricks@ihs.gov.

It is the policy of the Indian Health Service, Division of Oral Health, that faculty/planners disclose any financial or other relationships with commercial companies whose products may be discussed in the educational activity. The Indian Health Service, Division of Oral Health, also requires that faculty disclose any unlabeled or investigative use of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. Images that have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment outcomes are prohibited.

None of the faculty/planners for this activity has a conflict of interest, and there is no use of unlabeled or investigative pharmaceutical products or medical devices. No images have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment outcomes.The educational objectives, content, and selection of educational methods and instructors are conducted independent of any commercial entity.

The IHS Division of Oral Health is an accredited sponsor of continuing education under the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP). ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the IHS at IHS CDE Coordinator or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ada.org

Reading:
•   Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for the Use of Pit-and-Fissure Sealants [American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American Dental Association, 2016]: https://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/G_Sealants.pdf
•   Sealants for preventing and arresting pit-and-fissure occlusal caries in primary and permanent molars: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials – a report of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2016 JAMA]: https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177[16]30475-5/fulltext or https://jada.ada.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0002-817728162930475-5
•   Comparison of Clinical Efficacy of Glass Ionomer-based Sealant using ART Protocol and Resin-based Sealant on Primary Molars in Children [International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 2022]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9973092/
•   IHS ECC Collaborative: Glass Ionomer Sealants and Restorations, 2009: https://www.ihs.gov/DOH/documents/ecc/GIMaterialsHandout.pdf
•   IHS Oral Health Program Guide, Section J: Pit and Fissure Sealants, 2012: https://www.ihs.gov/doh/index.cfm?fuseaction=clinicmanagement.ohpg [in the IHS Dental Portal – Clinic section; login required]

Please Make Checks Payable to: Indian Health Service.

Tuition must be paid in full 8 weeks prior to the start date of any course. Request for refunds must be received in writing at least two weeks before the course begins. For each refund request, there will be an administrative charge of $100. No refunds will be made to registrants who fail to attend a course. If IHS CDE program cancels a course, then 100% of the tuition will be refunded.