Ohio Dental Board

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a cornerstone of evidence-based care for individuals with substance use disorders, integrating pharmacologic interventions with counseling and behavioral support to improve outcomes and reduce relapse risk. This course provides clinicians with a comprehensive understanding of the clinical application, safe administration, and potential risks associated with MAT medications used to treat opioid, alcohol, and tobacco use disorders.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of health equity, focusing on the social, systemic, and structural factors that contribute to disparities in healthcare access, outcomes, and experiences. Participants will examine how biases, socioeconomic factors, cultural barriers, and institutional practices impact health delivery and will learn strategies to create more inclusive, equitable care across medical, dental, and mental health settings.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course empowers dental professionals to address the silent crisis of suicide within their industry. Designed for dentists, hygienists, students, and office staff, it blends evidence-based strategies with actionable tools to foster mental health awareness and intervention.

You’ll Learn How To:

Understand the Crisis: Explore why dental professionals face elevated suicide risks, from financial burdens to professional isolation.
Spot Warning Signs: Recognize subtle behavioral, verbal, and physical cues in colleagues or patients (e.g., withdrawal, hopelessness).
Intervene Effectively: Use empathetic communication, safety planning, and referrals to crisis resources.
Build Resilient Workplaces: Implement systemic changes like mental health screenings, peer support networks, and stigma reduction.
Advocate for Change: Promote mental health education in dental schools and policy reforms in practices.

Suicide in dentistry is preventable. By equipping participants with practical skills—from screening tools like PHQ-2 to workplace wellness protocols—this course transforms dental teams into frontline advocates for mental health. Together, we can save lives and create a culture where seeking help is a sign of strength.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Dental Implant Placement provides dental professionals with the essential knowledge and hands-on skills required to successfully integrate dental implants into their practice. This course covers fundamental principles of implantology, including patient selection, treatment planning, surgical techniques, and prosthetic restoration. Participants will gain a deep understanding of bone anatomy, osseointegration, and risk management to ensure long-term implant success.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Dentists prescribe approximately 9% of opioid analgesics dispensed by outpatient U.S. retail pharmacies annually and are the leading prescribers for patients aged 10 to 19.

This course is designed to help dental professionals navigate the complexities of pain management, focusing on identifying risk factors, optimizing effective treatment strategies, and minimizing potential risks associated with analgesic use in dental care.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Implicit bias refers to the subconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions, often without our conscious awareness. These biases can influence behavior and judgments in ways that may not align with our explicit beliefs or intentions. Culturally competent care in dentistry requires that professionals explore their implicit biases and cultural beliefs.

This course will explore cultural competency and implicit bias and their pervasive impact on various aspects of society, including the dental office and healthcare. Through a combination of self-assessment tools, interactive case studies, and practical strategies, learners will explore the subconscious biases that influence their decisions and behaviors. The course aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and mitigate these biases, fostering more inclusive and equitable environments in both personal and professional settings.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or maltreatment is a serious legal and ethical responsibility, especially for mandated reporters. Because reporting laws vary significantly by state, professionals must understand not only when a report is required, but also who must report, where the report must be made, and how quickly action must be taken.

This course provides a state-by-state overview of mandatory reporting requirements for suspected child abuse and vulnerable adult abuse across the United States. Participants will review the circumstances that may trigger a reporting obligation, the required timelines for making a report, and the procedures for contacting the appropriate child protective services, adult protective services, law enforcement, or other designated agency.

The course also emphasizes the importance of timely action, accurate documentation, and understanding the limits of professional discretion when abuse or maltreatment is suspected. By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer understanding of how reporting requirements differ across jurisdictions and how to respond appropriately when concerns arise.

Course Creation Date 5/1/2026

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will explore ethics in the field of dental hygiene. We will identify the principles outlined in The Dental Hygiene Code of Ethics created by the American Dental Association. The Code establishes concise standards of behavior to guide the public’s expectations of the profession and supports existing dental hygiene practice, laws, and regulations.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Oral cancer is a potentially life-threatening disease that can greatly impact a patient’s oral health and overall well-being. Dental professionals play a crucial role in the early detection, prevention, and management of oral cancer.

This course is designed to equip dental professionals with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to recognize, diagnose, and manage oral cancer cases effectively.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course offers a patient-centered perspective on dental anxiety and proposes strategies for enhancing patients’ access to dental healthcare.

Key topics covered will encompass an examination of the terminology employed to delineate varying levels of dental apprehension and the application of behavioral and pharmacological techniques to support patients in completing their dental treatments. Additionally, the course will delve into treatment adjustments aimed at mitigating patients’ procedural fears, identifying the most common dental scenarios causing stress in patients, exploring the origins of dental-related fears, and addressing the adverse effects of stress on dental staff members.

This course is offered as a self-paced online course.  An Internet connection is required.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course provides an in-depth overview of infection control principles, including standard precautions, pathogen transmission, personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfection practices, and outbreak prevention strategies. It equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge necessary to maintain safe, compliant, and hygienic environments across diverse care settings.

 

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Dental fear refers to the fear of dentistry and of receiving dental care. This can be quite severe when diagnosed as dental phobia, odontophobia, dentophobia, or dentist phobia or less severe when described as generalized anxiety. This course will explore dental phobia and anxiety and strategies to reduce anxiety.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course provides a structured examination of dental implant hygiene, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to the long-term maintenance of implant-supported restorations. Content includes foundational principles of peri-implant health, selection and application of appropriate instrumentation, and the development of individualized maintenance protocols. Clinical considerations related to biofilm management, risk assessment, and prevention of peri-implant diseases are integrated throughout. The course is designed to support advanced clinical decision-making and promote optimal patient outcomes in implant care.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others.

This course will explore what human trafficking is, how it occurs and who is most vulnerable, how to recognize risk factors, The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the Justice for Victims Act of 2015, as well as how drug use is linked to trafficking, treatment options and procedures to helping fight this crisis.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Dental settings have unique characteristics that warrant specific infection control considerations when dealing with COVID-19.  This course will explore guidance on how to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission in the dental office.

This course will explore what COVID-19 is and the CDC and ADA statements regarding the dental industry.  We will look at patient, facility, hygiene considerations.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course delivers a focused, evidence-based analysis of dental hypersensitivity, addressing its biological and physiological mechanisms, associated structural changes in dental tissues, and contributing risk factors. Emphasis is placed on accurate clinical assessment, including identification of common triggers, comprehensive patient history-taking, and differentiation from other conditions with similar presentations. Learners will critically evaluate current treatment options and develop individualized management and prevention strategies grounded in patient-specific clinical and behavioral factors.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.