Course Description
This course examines contemporary approaches to post-operative pain control in oral and implant surgery, with emphasis on patient experience, multimodal analgesia, opioid-sparing strategies, and practical integration of long-acting local anesthetic infiltration into clinical workflows. Participants will review the physiologic basis of pain, the clinical and societal implications of opioid prescribing, and the role of prolonged local analgesia in oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures such as dental implants, full-mouth extractions, third-molar extractions, and related surgical interventions. The course also addresses administration principles, safety considerations, reimbursement pathways, and practice-level benefits associated with improved post-operative pain management.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
- Describe the physiologic basis of pain and its relevance to post-surgical dental care.
- Identify key barriers that influence a patient’s acceptance of treatment, including fear, finances, and familiarity.
- Explain the principles of multimodal analgesia and its role in reducing post-surgical pain and opioid exposure.
- Recognize the risks and adverse events associated with opioid use in dental patients.
- Compare traditional local anesthetics with long-acting local analgesic options in terms of onset and duration.
- Discuss current recommendations supporting long-acting local anesthetics and opioid-avoidance strategies in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
- Review appropriate clinical applications of liposomal bupivacaine infiltration in OMFS and dental procedures.
- Demonstrate understanding of basic administration guidance, preparation steps, and storage considerations for sustained-release local analgesic agents.
- Summarize the potential clinical, patient-relational, and practice-management benefits of improved post-operative pain control.
- Identify documentation and reimbursement considerations, including use of CDT code D9613 where applicable.
