Evaluation of a continuing education course on guideline-concordant management of acute dental pain

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the use of a free online continuing education (CE) course that sought to address barriers of capability by training dental team members in the specific recommendations of the American Dental Association (ADA)-endorsed adult guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain, shared decision-making, and the adoption of the guideline into practice.

Methods: In 2022 and 2023, dentists completed an online, asynchronous CE course on the guideline-concordant pharmacologic management of acute dental pain. They completed 11-item knowledge tests before and after completing the course. Total scores on the pre- and post-tests were compared using a t-test.

Results: The mean score increased from 7.68 (SD = 1.08) on the pretest to 8.79 (SD = 1.35) on the post-test (t₍₄₄₆₈₎ = -27.34, p < .01), indicating that dentists gained knowledge from the CE course.

Conclusions: We found that the CE course increased knowledge with respect to the guideline recommendations and shared decision-making but not epidemiology or incorporating a guideline into practice. Future studies should evaluate whether the CE course increased guideline-concordant prescribing.