Package Description

Few challenges strike as much fear in a dentist’s heart as the need to talk to a patient who has been harmed by their dental care. It is equally challenging to share such information with professional colleagues. By and large, the practice of dentistry is safe, but there is always room to improve. Medicine has struggled with enhancing its own culture of safety for decades; dentistry has no such culture of accountability, except at the most serious level. Many adverse events are shelved or dealt with below the radar. State dental boards may not be required to make their actions public.

Some progress on embracing a culture of safety in dentistry is being made, especially with the Association for Dental Safety (ADS) making this a foundational element within its strategic plan. Yet most dental practitioners believe they are “safe enough.” Calling attention to safety elicits a triple fearful response: 1) increasing office overhead, 2) inciting more government intervention, and 3) leading patients to believe dentistry is unsafe. The Feds are indeed walking this safety path, and dentistry has not been invited along. Come and hear how your increased awareness of safety can make a difference.

Learning Objectives:

1. Increase awareness of the importance of safety for patients, staff and providers.
2. Recognize opportunities to encourage a culture of safety within your dental practice.
3. Describe how adverse incidents can be reported in an anonymous, non-discoverable manner to the Dental Patient Safety Foundation.

Price:

• Members & Non-Members: Free

Continuing Education

ADS, formerly known as OSAP, is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.

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 provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at ADA.org/CERP.

Please email the ADS office at [email protected] or call +1 (410) 571-0003 if you wish to be in contact with the course author/creator(s) with any questions or for clarification of course concepts or for technical assistance in completing the online test.

All participants assume individual responsibility for providing evidence of contact hours of continuing education to the appropriate authorities and for the maintenance of their individual records.

Learn more about our CE Program & Provider Recognition.

CE Credits: 1.0
Educational Method: Self-instructional (self-study)
Location: Online
Publication Date: April 2025 
Expiration Date: April 30, 2028

Speaker:

Steve Geiermann, DDS, FACD, FICD

Dr. Steve Geiermann, a retired Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, is also enjoying retirement from the American Dental Association where he served as the senior manager addressing access, community oral health infrastructure and capacity. He served in the Indian Health Service and Federally Qualified Health Centers, as well as being a HRSA regional dental consultant. Steve currently serves on the boards of the Association for Dental Safety, the American Institute of Dental Public Health, the Dental Lifeline Network, the Dental Patient Safety Foundation and the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity. He is chair of the ASTDD Best Practices Committee and is a fellow of the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentists.

Disclosures: No relevant financial relationships to disclose

Educational Funding Provided By: