In the Trenches or Out the Door? — February 21, 2027
In the Trenches or Out the Door? Navigating Periodontal Treatment Boundaries and Referral Thresholds
Session dateSunday, February 21, 2027
Start time4:00 PM Pacific (PST)
Continuing education2 CE credits
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Individual registration is $49. This webinar is included with an eligible annual Study Club membership. Members must register for the session they wish to attend.
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Course Overview
As oral health professionals, managing periodontal diseases is a core component of daily practice. However, determining exactly when to manage treatment in-house and when to transition care to a periodontist remains a complex decision process. Guided by the American Academy of Periodontology Staging and Grading frameworks and consideration of in-office clinical expertise, this lecture provides general dentists and dental hygienists with objective clinical criteria to map out effective treatment options.
Utilizing clinical cases, this program will explore how to maximize the efficacy of nonsurgical therapies. Recognizing the limitations of nonsurgical treatments, the program will also identify the red flags, such as deep nonresponsive pocketing, severe furcation involvement, rapid attachment loss, increasing gingival recession and complex systemic medical histories, that necessitate intervention with surgical access by a general dentist or referral to a periodontist. The program will discuss how to establish a collaborative relationship between the dental hygienist, the general dentist, and the periodontist to optimize shared patient responsibility in patient care.
Format: Prerecorded presentation followed by live Q&A.
AGD subject code: 490
Learning objectives
After this course, participants should be able to:
- Apply objective metrics using current AAP Staging and Grading criteria to determine a predictable prognosis for in-house therapy.
- Identify precise clinical thresholds (eg, nonresponsive vertical defects, progressive mobility, advanced Stage 3 or 4 disease) that trigger surgical intervention by the general dentist or referral to a periodontist.
- Explain the variations in periodontal anatomy that may be amenable to successful hard and soft tissue regeneration for improved retention of the natural dentition.
- Evaluate medical risk factors, including poorly controlled diabetes, pregnancy, and chronic systemic inflammation, that impact periodontal healing and treatment decisions.
- Review distinct roles for the dentist and dental hygienist in staging disease, managing patient expectations, and structuring collaborative maintenance phases.
Your presenter
Timothy J. Hempton, DDS
Timothy J. Hempton, DDS, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and also maintains a private practice limited to periodontics and dental implants in Dedham, Massachusetts. He is an adjunct associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He previously served as the assistant director of the postdoctoral program in periodontology at Tufts from 2000 to 2012 and as program director from 2012 to 2014. Hempton is a fellow of the American College of Dentists and a member of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He is a recipient of the 2005 American Academy of Periodontology Teaching and Mentoring award at Tufts University, the 2011 Yankee Dental Congress Clinician of the Year Award and the 2014 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Preclinical Teaching at Tufts University. In addition, Hempton holds an appointment at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Boston.
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Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at ada.org/cerp.
Belmont Business Media Nationally Approved PACE Program Provider for AGD/MAGD credit.
Approval does not imply acceptance by any regulatory authority or AGD endorsement. 11/1/26 - 12/31/30.
Provider ID# 317924
Approval does not imply acceptance by any regulatory authority or AGD endorsement. 11/1/26 - 12/31/30.
Provider ID# 317924
Course Content
$49.00Add to cart
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