DENT 2122 - PHARMACOLOGY

[60 Credits]

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the rational use of drugs in dentistry. With the authority to prescribe drugs comes the responsibility of being knowledgeable in the use of valuable, but often dangerous, therapeutic agents. It is important to recognize that certain generalizations apply to all drugs. These principles of drug action are the initial focus of discussion. The number of drugs continues to grow and will expand in the future. To limit confusion, emphasis is placed on single, prototypical agents that are representative of the respective drug classes. Through this approach an understanding of the properties of related agents can be more readily achieved, and at the same time differences that may exist between them can be highlighted. Lectures are designed to familiarize the student with basic mechanisms of action of drugs in relation to their physiologic and biochemical effects, their main therapeutic uses and adverse effects. (Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics)