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

Course Description:

Women, Nutrition and Oral Health: Implications throughout the Lifecycle
From the teenage years to the golden years a woman goes through many changes. Some of these changes often have an impact on oral health. As an oral health practitioners we need to arm ourselves with knowledge about these various changes to better provide our female patients with optimum care. This course will focus on the interrelationship between oral health and overall health at various stages throughout the lifecycle.

Following this presentation, the participant should be able to:
  • Discuss the role the oral health plays in the overall health of females at various stages throughout the lifecycle.
  • Discuss nutrient needs important to the various stages of a woman’s life.
  • Understand the importance of various nutrients and lifestyle changes prior to conception.
  • Recommend nutrient intake essential during pregnancy and lactation to provide adequate nutrients for proper development and growth.
  • Recognize dental hygiene considerations for clients who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Gain a greater understanding of dietary needs during menopause and the oral sequelae that commonly occurs during this phase of the life cycle.
  • Discuss nutrient needs and physiological changes that occur as we age.
  • Discuss oral health considerations for the aging female.
  • Understand the importance of diet and physical activity in regards to optimum bone health.
  • Discuss systemic conditions and their oral considerations that have a higher incidence in females which can occur at various points of the life cycle continuum.
  • Relate the dietary choices to optimum oral health as part of preventative patient care.
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.