Richard L. Wynn, PhD, is a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore. He earned his BS in Pharmacy, MS in Physiology, and PhD in Pharmacology, all from the University of Maryland.

He served as the Chair of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Maryland Dental School from 1980 to 1990, and subsequently led both the Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry from 1990 to 1995. Prior to his tenure at the University of Maryland, he chaired the Department of Oral Biology at the University of Kentucky Dental School in Lexington.

His contributions to the field of pharmacology are extensive, with over 400 publications to his credit, spanning original research articles, textbooks, book chapters, and monographs. Since 1980, Dr. Wynn has been providing continuing education seminars for dental professionals across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Dr. Wynn's has served as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years. His research laboratories have played a pivotal role in the development of intravenous anesthetics of the fentanyl-type, inhalant anesthetics, and agents for managing chemotherapy-induced nausea. He has also lent his expertise to organizations such as the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Dental Association in advisory capacities.

For two decades, Dr. Wynn was the featured pharmacology columnist for the journal General Dentistry. Additionally, he is the lead author and chief editor of the Drug Information Handbook for Dentistry, now in its 29th edition, published by LexiComp, Inc/WoltersKluwer. He also is the lead content author and serves as chief editor for Lexicomp Online Dental Web applications, overseeing platforms for web, iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Dr. Wynn's commitment to dental education and practice is further exemplified by his consultancy role with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners, where he contributes to course development on opiate prescribing and disposal for Maryland licensees. His primary passion lies in imparting pharmacological knowledge to dental and dental hygiene students, as well as ensuring that dental professionals remain well-informed about the latest advancements and information pertaining to drug usage in dental practice.

Every decade or so since 1955 the American Heart Association (AHA) has reviewed previous recommendations relative to antibiotic premedication in patients undergoing medical or dental surgery. This course describes the latest review by the AHA published in 2021 on antibiotic premedication to prevent infective endocarditis.

In addition, part 2 of the course describes the latest publications on the orthopedic implant patient undergoing invasive dental procedures and the published position statements from the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in prevention of prosthetic joint infection. After completing these two parts, the clinician will be up to date on the most recent published guidelines relative to both categories of patients. 

After the completion of part 1, participants should be able to:

• State the original reference establishing clinical practice guidelines for premed to prevent infective endocarditis
• List the cardiovascular conditions requiring prophylaxis when doing invasive procedures
• List some common dental procedures that do not require prophylaxis
• List the standard drug prophylaxis regimen for adults and children after oral administration
• List 4 drugs recommended as orally administered alternatives in penicillin-allergic patients.

After the completion of part 2, participants should be able to:

• State the two original references establishing no association between dental procedures and prosthetic joint infections; state the two references providing clinical practice guidelines in treating the joint prosthesis patient
• List three medical conditions suggesting an increased risk of joint infection
• List the drug prophylaxis regimen for adults after oral administration in penicillin-allergic and non-allergic patients; include 4 drugs recommended as orally administered alternatives in penicillin-allergic patients.
• List the organization recommending discontinuation of clindamycin.

Upon completion of the online course, participants are required to pass an online post-course assessment with a minimum grade of 75%.

Once the online course has been accessed, no refunds will be provided.

Cancellation and Refund Policies