For Dentists and Dental Hygienists:
2–3 hours for associated CEU credits

Course Description:

The population is growing… and so are our waist lines! The dental visit isn’t “just about the mouth”—it’s about the whole patient! The updated food pyramid looks like a plate—how can we relate this information to our patients? Sugar intake, portion control—encouraging healthy habits—what does dentistry have to do with the obesity crisis? Ongoing research and emerging information regarding diet and nutrition as it relates to oral health will be discussed.

Following this presentation, the participant should be able to:
  • Understand the interrelationship between obesity and oral health.
  • Relate the importance of diet to dental patients during oral health care appointments.
  • Encourage healthier food choices.
  • Work with nutrition professionals as multidisciplinary team members in patient management.
  • Manage nutritional issues either by direct patient guidance or appropriate referral.
Lisa F. Mallonee, MPH, RDH, RD, LD received a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and a Master of Public Health with a coordinated degree in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to becoming a Registered Dietitian, Lisa practiced full time as a Registered Dental Hygienist in both general and public health practice settings.

Lisa is a tenured Professor, Graduate Program Director and Registered Dietitian at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Caruth School of Dental Hygiene where she currently teaches courses in public/community health and provides nutrition lectures in the dental hygiene and predoctoral dental curriculum, and oversees practicum placement and thesis research as co-director in the College of Medicine’s Education for Healthcare Professionals graduate program. Additionally she serves as a preceptor for the Baylor University Medical Center Dietetic internship program. As a health care professional and educator, she is committed to two interconnected goals: sharing her knowledge, expertise, and passion while promoting the value of interprofessional collaboration among dental professionals within the wider health care community for greater patient/client outcomes.

Lisa serves as a reviewer and expert content advisor on numerous publications which include: The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Journal of the American Dental Association, the Journal of Dental Hygiene and organizations such as the National Diabetes Education Program, National Maternal & Child Oral Health Resource Center and the American Dental Educators Association (ADEA). Lisa is a published author in dental textbooks and peer reviewed journals on multiple topics pertaining to diet, nutrition and oral health and the practical application to whole body health for dietetic and dental professionals. She coauthored the Nutrition Curriculum for the revised 2015 edition of the ADEA Curriculum Guidelines for Allied Dental Education Programs. Additionally, she served as primary author for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Practice Paper on Oral Health and Nutrition. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Nutrition Education of Health Professionals award and the 2016 Texas Dental Hygiene Directors’ Association/Proctor & Gamble Teaching Excellence Award. Lisa presents educational lectures both nationally and internationally.