*NEW Giving Vaccines as a Dental Professional – Coursework and Competency

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Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This is a hands-on course.

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Instructor: Dr. Rosie Wagner, DDS

Dr. Rosie Wagner studied dentistry at the University at Buffalo and Tufts University before founding a family dental practice in Somerville, MA that focuses on reducing dental avoidance and shame, improving patient-provider communication, and providing a safe space for patients of all backgrounds. Dr. Wagner has long wished to form better connections between a patient’s dental, medical, and pharmacy providers and reduce barriers to care. A vaccine champion, Dr. Wagner hosted vaccine clinics in her practice before becoming the first private practice dentist in the country to administer immunizations in her office. She is a starting member of the Massachusetts Oral HPV Prevention Taskforce, which helps to educate providers and the community about oral HPV, including vaccination. She is a board member of both the Massachusetts Dental Society Foundation and the Better Oral Health for Massachusetts Coalition and founder of the Massachusetts Organization for Dental Immunizers. Dr. Wagner has been administering covid, influenza, and HPV vaccinations to her patients and the community since 2021.

Overview

Dentists and dental hygienists are permitted and encouraged to administer routine vaccinations such as those that protect against influenza, HPV, and covid. Adding vaccines as part of routine preventive dental care helps reduce community spread of disease and prevent HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers. This course includes a didactic and lab component and attendees will learn the relevance and importance of immunizations in the dental setting. Covered topics include the relevance, scope of practice, purchasing, storage, billing, handling and administration of vaccines. Thorough instruction on administering intramuscular injections in the deltoid will be covered, and a lab component will allow participants to practice drawing up syringes, land marking injection site anatomy, and practice administering IM injections using models.

Course Objectives

• Understand the importance, relevance, and applicability of dental professionals administering vaccines in the dental office setting.
• Learn how to purchase, store, document, submit insurance claims for, and administer vaccinations.
• Observe and practice the protocols for administering intramuscular injections in the deltoid and vastus lateralis.

Teaching Method

Lecture and Hands on

Recommended for

Dentists and hygienists with local anesthesia certification (though all hygienists are welcome to attend the course, local anesthesia certification is required if they are to vaccinate in the community)

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