Implant Complications from a Restorative Dentist’s Perspective
Dr. Henry W. Ferguson
Bio
Dr. Henry W. Ferguson received a DMD degree in 1980 from The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh PA. Upon completion of Dental School, Dr. Ferguson entered into active duty service as a General Dental Officer with the United States Army Dental Corps. In 1991, Dr. Ferguson completed residency training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon GA.
After retirement from the Army in 2004, Dr. Ferguson received full time faculty appointments with the Augusta University Medical Center formerly the Medical College of Surgery, and the Dental College of Georgia (formerly the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry) Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He served there proudly as the senior faculty in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for nearly two decades.
Dr. Ferguson is a Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The American Dental Society of Anesthesia, A Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and the National Dental Board of Anesthesia, and has membership in the Georgia Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Georgia Dental Association, and the American Dental Association.
In January 2023, after serving Augusta University and the Dental College of Georgia for nearly twenty years, Dr. Ferguson retired from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He plans to continue his consulting work, and providing continuing education classes with emphasis on procedural sedation training, managing of office medical emergencies, and live implant training.
Course Description
This continuing education course addresses the increasing need for emergency preparedness in dental practice, with a focus on the clinical realities of aging populations, poly pharmacy, rising comorbidities and medically complex patients. As dental procedures become longer, more involved and patient health status more compromised, medical emergencies during dental care are no longer rare events but predictable occurrences. This course empowers the dental team to recognize and mitigate emergent risk by enhancing training, refining patient assessment, managing dental anxieties and developing an office-wide emergency action plan which supports clear, executable emergency protocols. Emphasis is placed on team-based simulations, ensuring staff proficiency in emergency roles, understanding systemic disease interactions, equipping the office for common emergency scenarios, and integrating leadership in crisis situations. Ultimately, this course shifts the mindset from passive compliance to proactive readiness, ensuring that the dental team can respond swiftly, competently, and confidently when emergencies arise.
