(7130) Dentistry: Getting Beyond Earth's Orbit

Saturday, October 15, 2022

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM CST

Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, 352D

CE: 1.5 CE Hours

Audience: D, S, T
Fee: Included with Smile Pass / Platinum Smile Pass

Lead Presenter(s)

Michael H. Hodapp, DDS

Dentist
Private Practice - Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas, United States

Speaker(s)

Christopher Haas, MD, MPH

Orion Program Technical Integration Lead, Space Medicine Division
NASA
Houston, Texas, United States

What would happen if a crewmember on a deep space mission were to experience a tooth ache? How are crewmembers prepared to handle dental contingencies, and what kind of constraints do the planners face when it comes to preparing for a true dental emergency?

Come explore our nations space program and learn the role dentistry has played to enhance the safety of the astronauts. Come discover some of the research that has helped us prepare for dental contingencies issues in microgravity.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss dentistry’s role during the space program
Show how astronauts are currently trained to handle a dental emergency in space
Review the oral issues pilots, divers, and astronauts face with changes in atmospheric pressure and cover algorithms to aid in the diagnosis of these conditions
Address medications and drugs we use daily that impose a “Self-grounding Notice” on pilots’ divers and suggestions to enhance safety
Cover what we are currently doing to take Dentistry Beyond Earth’s Orbit