Pharmacology

1. Module C
Week 4
Pharmacology

2. Pharmacology: The science or branch of
medicine that includes the research,
development and manufacture of drugs
Drug: A substance that can be taken for
the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
of disease

3. Why Dental Assistants Need
Pharmacology?
Situations:
 When reviewing a patient’s medication
history
 When assisting in dental procedures that
require premedication
 When assisting in a specific dental procedure
for which pain control is required
 When assisting in a medical emergency

4. Generic Name: The shorthand version of
the drug’s chemical name, structure, or
formula; a name that any business firm may
use
Brand Name or Trade Name: Controlled
by a pharmaceutical company as a registered
trademark
Drugs are commonly identified by…
Brand Name Generic Name

5. Dispensing of Drugs
Drugs are classified in two categories according to the way
an individual can purchase them:
 Patent medicines / over-the-counter (OTC) drugs
are drugs that can be obtained without a prescription
 Prescription drugs / ethical drugs
are licensed medicines that are regulated by legislation
and require a prescription before they can be obtained
from a pharmacist

6. Controlled Substance Act (1970) set the requirements for
prescription drugs and are classified according to the
following:
 Potential for abuse by a patient
 Potential for dependency on medication
 Medical usefulness of the drug
 Cost to the patient
 Brand name vs. generic
Federal Law

7. Drugs that have NO medical use at this
time
Most dangerous drug
Very high potential for abuse and
dependency
Ex. Heroin, LSD, Marijuana
DEA SCHEDULED DRUGS
(Federal Drug Enforcement Agency)
Schedule 1

8.  Lysergic acid diethylamide
 Once used in experiments by psychiatrists
through the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
 Researchers failed to discover any
medical use for the drug
 LSD was popularized in the 1960s by
psychologist Timothy Leary, who
encouraged American students to “turn
on, tune in, and drop out.”
LSD

9.  Cocaine is a powerful nervous system stimulant and has
powerful, negative effects on the heart, brain, and
emotions
 May produce anesthesia in low doses
 Sometimes used in surgery but NEVER prescribed by
physician
 Sold “on the streets” in powder form
 May also come in “rock form”
 AKA – “Crack”
Cocaine

10. High potential for abuse
BUT have medical use
NO “phone in” prescriptions or refills
Examples: Demerol, Morphine, Percodan,
Dilaudid and Nembutal, Cocaine
Schedule II

11.  Lower potential for abuse and dependency
 Accepted Medical Use
 Can be called in by Dr. only
 Examples are:
 Tylenol with codeine – aka Tylenol #3
 Vicodin - aka hydrocodone
 Some stimulants and barbiturates
 Needs written prescription and cannot exceed 5 refills in 6
months
Schedule III

12.  Low abuse and dependency
 Has medical uses
 Rx needs to be in writing
 Can refill times over 6 months
 Can be called in by healthcare workers
 Examples are: Valium, Ambien, Darvon,
Darvocet
Schedule IV

13.  Very low dependency or potential for abuse
 Has medical use
 Most Over The Counter medications (OTC)
 Cold medications
 Sinus medications
 Some may require proof of age, i.e., driver
license
Schedule V

14. Prescriptions
A written order provided by a physician or
dentist for the preparation and administration
of a medicine by the pharmacist
Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
identification number
A professional who is authorized to prescribe
medications.

15. PARTS OF A PRESCRIPTION
Patients name, address, date and
symbol Rx (Latin: “recipe”)=(TAKE)
Main body: name and quantity
of the drug
Instruction to the pxn on how, when
and how much he/she can take the
medicine
Subscription: Instruction to the
pharmacist.
* Seldom done and seen in the
prescription.

16. Common Prescription Abbreviations
ABBREVIATION MEANING
a.c. Before meal
b.i.d Twice a day
disp. dispense
NPO Nothing by mouth
prn When necessary
q.d. Once a day
q.i.d. Four times a day
SL Sublingual
Tsp teaspoon

17. Drug Reference Materials
Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR)
Updated source of
information supplied by drug
companies about their
products
Available as a bound text, CD-
ROM, www.pdr.net
Mosby’s Dental Drug Reference
Dental-specific source

18. Methods of Administering Drugs
(Limited to methods most commonly used in the dental field)

19. 4 WAYS TO ADMINISTER:
1. Subcutaneous
Deep beneath the skin, i.e., insulin
for diabetes
2. Intradermal
Beneath the skin but shallow, i.e.,
TB or allergy tests
I. INJECTIONS

20. 3. Intramuscular
 Into a muscle, i.e.,
tetanus
4. Intravenous
 Into a vein, i.e., IV
sedation
Injections continued

21.  Into the mouth
 PO – in Latin “per orem”
 Can be swallowed / taken by mouth
SUBLINGUAL : placed
under the tongue
Nitroglycerine for chest pain
(angina) is a sublingual medication
 FORMS OF ORAL MEDICATION: liquid
form, pill, capsule or tablets
II. Oral Administration

22. Applied to the surface of
mucosa or skin
 Topical anesthetic
(Gel, liquid or spray)
 Antibiotic cream
(Neosporin)
III. Topical Administration
Ointment forms

23. Vapor taken into the lungs
 Asthma inhaler
 Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
 Dental patients who are
anxious
Great for children
IV. Inhalation Administration

24. I. Analgesics
• Mild pain relievers
Aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen
 Codeine is an analgesic AND a cough suppressant
II. Antibiotics
• Destroys bacteria
Penicillin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline
Tetracycline will stain teeth if taken
during the developmental stage
Common Drug Prescribed in
Dentistry

25. III.Anti-anxiety
Agents
“pain-free dentistry”
Ex. Xanex, Valium
IV.Antifungal Agents
Thrush (candida albicans)
Ex. Nystatin
Common Drug Prescribed in
Dentistry

26. Increases the activity of
nervous system and
organs
 Caffeine & nicotine
Caffeine is found in
chocolate, soft drinks
& cocoa
 Smoking is considered a
stimulant as well
Stimulants

27. Stages of Drug Action in the Body

28. 1. Dental Assistant : NOT ALLOWED
to call-in prescription
2. Document
3. Check patient for any unfavorable
reaction
4. Sealed medication
5. Patient information with
instructions
6. Provide instructions verbally
7. Discard unused medication
8. No sharing
8 Rules for Administering Medications
For use in the dental office

29.  Age – child or adult
 Sex – male or female
 Size – petite or very tall
 Weight – under or over
 Allergy – maybe contraindicated
 Habituation- cause dependency
 Cumulative – build up in body
Conditions that modify drugs

30.  Disease – heart or lung disease
 Synergism – 2 meds working together
 Antagonism – 2 meds working against each other
 Tolerance – drug resistance. Need of larger /
stronger amount to produce effect.
Natural – born with natural tolerance, drug has no effect
Acquired – through repeated use, drug loose their intended
effect
Conditions that modify drugs
cont.

31. MOD – C WEEK 4 REVIEW
1. Sources of Caffeine 2. Sublingual
3. Tolerance 4. Abbreviation: PO
5. Topical (forms) 6. Pharmacology
7. Nicotine effect 8. Tetracycline
9. Codeine 10.Medical term for Crack
11.Inhalation Administered
Drugs
12. Function of Antibiotics
13.Abbreviation: NPO 14.DEA Number
15.Abbreviation: SL 16.OTC Drugs
17.Abbreviation: q.i.d 18. Tolerance
19.Schedule V Drugs 20.Abbreviation: b.i.d

32. You have now reached…

33. REVIEW MOD – C FINALS
1. CAOH2 (calcium hydroxide)
placement
2. GV Blacks Cavity Classification
Study all including surfaces involved
3. National Bureau of Standard Test
for Amalgam
4. Gold knife / finishing bur
5. Purpose of Wedge 6. Sources of Contamination in
Amalgam
7. Aspirating technique safety
precautions
8. Matrix band for tofflemire retainer
9. Composite base - exception 10. Disadvantage of calcium hydroxide
11. Amalgam – carvers 12. Amalgam – burnishers
13. Alloy composition 14. USE: Amalgam and composite
restoration
15. Over trituration 16. Under trituration
17. Zinc Phosphate Content / Effect 18. Zone / Temp bond
19. Amalgam composition 20. Glass Ionomer (GI) Advantage

34. REVIEW MOD – C FINALS
21. Thick consistency cement 22. Thin consistency cement
23. Steps for amalgam restoration 24. Isolation material
25. Anterior Restorative Material 26. Posterior Restorative Material
27. Methods of drug administration 28. Esthetic
29. Abbreviation: P.O. 30. Procedure before bonding
31. Amalgam scraps storage 32. Nicotine effect
33. Articulating paper 34. Phosphoric acid
35. Medication with Codeine 36. Medical term for Crack
37. Subscription 38. Antibiotics - use
39. Sequence of liner, base, varnish
placement
40. DEA Number
41. Medication for amalgam only 42. Tetracycline