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    • Continuing Education (CE)
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  • Home
  • Continuing Education (CE)
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    • 2025 CE Previous Courses
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VCDHA 2025 Continuing Education Previous Courses

Please note we do not offer refunds for these classes so please ensure that you register under the proper category. Thank you.  


periodontal protocols for the Modern dental practice

Blueprint For Success: Periodontal Protocols for the Modern Dental Practice

February 1. 2025 Virtual on Zoom

8:30am registration

9am-1:30pm PST- speaker will determine breaks

4 CEU


Nicole Fortune, MBA, RDH

The Blueprint For Success: Periodontal Protocols For The Modern Dental Practice.

As our elderly population expands, dental professionals will continue to see more periodontal patients and patients with complex dentition, including dental implants. Guidelines for periodontal classification and treatment recommendations continue to evolve. How is the dental professional to stay abreast of the continual changes? 

Discover the road map to success! Keep more patients in-house by offering services that treat various stages of periodontal and peri implant diseases. Learn how to recognize where each patient lies within the periodontal classifications, what treatment will best suit that patient and how to present that information to ensure the patient is successfully treated.  


LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

*Explore current periodontal classifications, including classification of peri- implant disease.  

*Gain guidelines for designing treatment plans and the process of hygiene care for both the natural dentition and dental implants.  

*Discover maintenance protocols and current research for ailing dental implants.  

*Analyze the psychology of patient fear and the impact on treatment acceptance.  

*Pinpoint case presentation techniques which help the patient embrace recommended treatment.  

*Gain a thorough understanding of the periodontal protocols, including how to identify and address individual patient needs.

*The demand for periodontal and peri-implant treatments will increase over the next few years. To retain patients, practices will need to increase the number of tools in their periodontal/peri-implant tool box. From staying on-top of the latest non-surgical technologies, to educating the team on treatment options, there are numerous ways to provide excellent in-house treatments for the growing periodontal/peri-implant population.


Bio: Nicole Fortune is a highly regarded dental hygienist and professional speaker who has gained industry-wide recognition for her advanced knowledge of periodontics and peri-implantitis. As a dental hygienist in a busy Vermont periodontal office, Nicole continuously enhances her knowledge in non surgical and preventative care. In order to stay abreast of the latest  periodontal technologies, Nicole continues to advance her education and holds certification in CO2, Diode and ND:Yag laser certification. She is also one of few hygienists to be certified in periodontal endoscopy. Nicole's dedication to patient care excellence, industry knowledge, and technological acumen earned her the title of Vermont’s Dental Hygienist of the Year for 2017.

 

MEMBERSHIPS:

*Academy of Laser Dentistry  

*American Academy for Oral Systemic Health

*Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries  

*Institute for Dental Implant Awareness  

*Patient Treatment Coordinator Association  

*Vermont Dental Hygienist Association  

*Dental Speaker Institute  

*Dental Speakers Bureau


PAST PRESENTATIONS:

*Champlain Periodontal Dental Hygiene Study Club (multiple) 

*Community College of Vermont  

* FacialArt Forum 

* Institute for Dental Implant Awareness 

*National Osteology Symposium  

*Pasadena Dental Hygiene Study Club  

*University of Michigan Ramjford Symposium  

*University of Vermont Diabetes Research Center  

*Vermont Dental Hygiene Association (multiple)  

*Vermont State Dental Society  

*Vermont Technical College School of Dental Hygiene 

*Zaidi Orthodontics Dental Hygiene Study Club


Website: NicoleFortuneRDH.com

Nicole@NicoleFortuneRDH.com

802-734-2831


dementia crisis, collaborative care, Sharpen cognitive Edge

The Dementia Crisis & Collaborative Care and Sharpen Your Cognitive Edge: Using Food for Function

May 3, 2025 Live In-Person

8:30am registration

9am-2pm PST 

11:00am Lunch

4 CEU


Location: Courtyard Marriott Oxnard/Ventura

600 E. Esplanade Drive

Oxnard, CA 93036


Anne O. Rice, RDH, BS, FAAOSH, CDP

The Dementia Crisis and Collaborative Care (2 hours)  

Alzheimer's Disease begins in the brain as many as 20-30 years before symptoms of memory loss appear. There are over 46 million people in the United States today that have Alzheimer's disease starting in their brain-silently. There is an enormous window of opportunity in prevention we can do now to delay or even prevent Alzheimer's Disease. 


Learning Objectives:

In this program attendees will learn evidence based, safe ways to not only live longer  but better lives, encouraging a longer brain span. Optimizing lifestyle is imperative and using multi-disciplinary approaches that include us-dental providers yields the best results. Science proves that medical lifestyle should be more tightly controlled, and precision medicine is best. Particular focus will be sent in this course on the collaborative model and explain in detail how what we do in dentistry that impacts brain health.

*Develop a greater understanding of brain health including vascular brain health.

*Identify lifestyle risk factors contributing to conative decline and review what a tighter control of medical lifestyle means. 

*Implement pathways for early intervention to help in the prevention of Alzheimer's Disease.

*Discuss  several areas that dental clinicians can positively impact conative decline including periodontal pathogens, HSV1, blood pressure and sleep.


Sharpen Your Cognitive Edge: Using Food For Function (1-2 hours, primarily for women's health).

Of all the organs in the body, the brain is one of the most vulnerable to a poor diet's ravages. The brain is the most metabolically active organ, using 20% of the body's energy haul. Adopting a brain- healthy diet is a powerful tool in maximizing cognitive health and is a powerful preventative against dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. 

Women have different metabolic requirements, genetics and hormones that factor into healthy eating. Common aliments for women such as slow metabolism, insomnia and depression can be curtailed by knowing how to maximize the intake of nutrients that specifically deal with the delicate integrity of our highly specialized bodies and brains.

Women's quality of life can be enhanced by following simple guidelines. Recent groundbreaking research will be revealed in this course that focuses on how gut health, antioxidants, phytoestrogens, xenoestrogens, organic foods, chemicals, and even fasting can be beneficial to the female brain.   


Learning Objectives:

*Specify how to maximize the intake of nutrients to keep the female brain young and energized.

*Be able to select the best fiber-rich, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial foods. 

*Identify how to support the microbiome, protect the heart, and reduce menopause symptoms.

*Translate the relationship between estrogen and phytoestrogens on women's brain health while exploring the impact of xenoestrogens on cognition and overall wellness. 


Bio: Anne O. Rice has been a clinical dental hygienist for 35 years, is a speaker, writer, and consultant. She created Oral Systemic Seminars in 2017 and now devotes much of her time, focus and study primarily to dementia prevention. She is a preceptor for the

Bale/Doneen method, a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Longevity Specialist with

the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, where she has also developed

curriculum. Anne is a Fellow with The American Academy of Oral Systemic Health

served on the advisory board. Anne also serves on Cloud Dentistry’s Empowering

Women in Dentistry board and has a column for RDH magazine focusing on oral

systemic health where she is also on their 2025 editorial advisory board. She has joined

O’Hehir University editorial advisory board for their International Journal of Oral Health Behavior Change Research. Anne was a 2024 recipient of Sunstar’s Award of

Distinction and in 2021 Anne published her manuscript Alzheimer’s Disease and Oral-

Systemic Health Bidirectional Care Integration Improving Outcomes for Frontiers. She

was included in an International Consortium of a diverse network of brain researchers,

clinicians and institutions who support Alzheimer’s prevention. Her consulting has

brought her to Weill Cornell Medical Center’s Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, Florida

Atlantic College Center for Brain Health, the Atria Institute and Florida Institute

Neurodegeneration Diseases under the direction of Dr. Richard Isaacson.


Website: Anneorice.com


Sponsors:

Cloud Dentistry

BioGaia- Supporting Your Invisible Heroes

PDS- with representative Matthew Thornton 

Elevate Oral Care

Crest & Oral- B


sharpening Your skills virtually to improve your compentency

Sharpening your skills virtually to improve your competency: Elevate your career to a new level!

**Instrumentation Course**

August 2, 2025 Live In-person

8:30am registration

9am-12pm PST 

Continental Breakfast Included

3 CEU


Location: Holiday Inn Oxnard North Ballroom formerly known as Courtyard Marriott Oxnard/Ventura 

600 E. Esplanade Drive

Oxnard, CA 93036


Diane Millar, RDH, MA

This course will provide participants with a virtual hands-on scaling experience to learn advanced and reinforced periodontal instrumentation scaling skills and techniques. Ideal biomechanical ergonomic postures will be demonstrated and then applied through audience participation. Knowing the importance of incorporating larger muscle groups and ideal fulcrum rests for improved lateral pressure, precision and injury prevention will be emphasized.


Learning Objective Outcomes:

Learning Outcome 1 – Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

Demonstrate advanced conventional and reinforced periodontal scaling techniques with ideal intraoral and extraoral fulcrums to enhance precision, and injury prevention

Learning Outcome 2- The participant will have a thorough understanding of:

How to protect their hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders while scaling to prevent repetitive motion injuries which can lead to career ending disabilities

Learning Outcome 3- The participant will be able to:

Implement improved postural ergonomics around the patient chair for musculoskeletal stability, comfort, and career longevity

Learning Outcome 4– The participant will be able to:

Demonstrate and feel the difference between an incorrect grasp and an ergonomically safe grasp while scaling using intraoral and extraoral fulcrums


Course Content Topics:

Content Topic l:

Problematic dental hygiene techniques and ergonomics will be briefly reviewed.

Advanced periodontal instrumentation scaling techniques will be shown on photographs and video clips during the presentation. Attendees will participate in a “virtual hands-on” simulation experience while watching videos by using a personal pen in their hand to practice improved intraoral and extraoral fulcrum rests and scaling applications that utilize both hands and arms.

The lecture will include important principles for improved scaling, precision, and dexterity by practicing advanced and reinforced scaling techniques while holding a pen and watching video clips. 

The attendees will experience how protective scaling techniques can contribute to improved comfort and career longevity when practicing dentistry.


Content Topic ll:

Attendees will demonstrate a neutral hand, wrist and arm position while holding a pen or pencil when participating in the “virtual hands-on” scaling simulation exercises. The

implementation of larger muscle groups to obtain more lateral pressure, power and

precision for injury prevention will be demonstrated and incorporated. State-of the Art

postural seating positions will be demonstrated and implemented during the lecture for attendees to compare between ideal postures and awkward, prolonged

postures that can lead to musculoskeletal pain, injury, and disability.


Content Topic lll:

State of the art strategies for safe ergonomic postures will be shown and demonstrated.

Statistics concerning ergonomic disorders and repetitive motion injuries of the hands, neck, shoulders and back amongst dental professionals will be included. Suggestions for improved postures while seated and while standing will be discussed, shown in photographs, and then demonstrated. These strategies will educate the attendees on  how to practice comfortably, and how to ideally prevent injury and disability when practicing dentistry. The importance of stretching and exercise with be discussed coupled with an audience Warrior II Yoga exercise after the lecture concludes. There will  be time for questions and answers to be certain that the audience feels well equipped with their learning experience after the presentation and virtual hands-on experience.


Bio: Diane is an educator, author, clinician and international speaker. She has been speaking at dental conferences and meetings throughout the country and in Canada for several years providing lectures and hands-on dental hygiene workshops on advanced reinforced instrumentation techniques. She works with dental hygienists, dentists and dental hygiene students on how to incorporate protective instrumentation strategies to help prevent musculoskeletal injuries. She has helped many dental professionals learn how to prevent pain and injury by practicing ergonomically safe which then enhances career longevity.

Diane’s education in dentistry began in 1974 when she went to the Southern Regional Occupational Center in Torrance, CA to become a dental assistant. She worked as a registered dental assistant while going through college to obtain a degree in dental hygiene. She then pursued the following degrees:

  • Graduated in 1981 from the West Los Angeles College dental hygiene program
  • Graduated from CSULB in 1995 with a BS degree in Health Science: Health Care
  • Graduated from Pepperdine University in 1999 with an MA in Education and Psychology

Author

Reinforced Periodontal Instrumentation and Ergonomics for the Dental Care Provider Published in 2007, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, a Wolters Kluwer Business

Dental Hygiene Instructor

  • West Coast University, Dental Hygiene Program, Anaheim, 2009 – Present
  • Cerritos College, Dental Hygiene Program, Norwalk, 1996 – 2009
  • University Southern California, School of Dentistry, 1992- 1996

 

Website: dentalhygienetechniques.com


Sponsors:

Zirc Because Time Is Everything

Garrison Dental Solutions

Ultra Light Optics



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