MetLife Expands Its Dental Continuing Education Program

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
MetLife, a provider of dental plan administration for over 21 million people,
today announced more options for dentists and allied health care professionals
seeking to enhance their professional development through its dental continuing
education program. Additions to the program, which is recognized by the American
Dental Association (ADA) and the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) for
continuing education credits, focus on: 1) Evaluation and Treatment of
Temporomandibular Disorder Patients, 2) Infection Control and OSHA Update, 3)
Introduction to Dental Implant Therapy, and 4) Local Anesthetics. The courses
can be accessed at www.metdental.com.

"Education is a key component to keeping dental care professionals informed
about topics of importance in the industry and to help provide better patient
care," said Alan Vogel, DMD, national dental director for MetLife. "MetLife is
committed to making timely and need based educational resources available to the
dental community."

MetLife continuing education materials are available to MetLife Preferred
Dentist Program (PDP) participants as well as non-PDP dentists. PDP participants
receive continuing education credits for MetLife`s educational offerings at no
charge. Non-PDP dentists and hygienists also have access to the offerings and
are charged a nominal fee for educational credits.

The latest Quality Resource Guides include:

Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) Patients, written
by Edward F. Wright, DDS, MS, associate professor at the University of Texas
Health Science Center - San Antonio, presents straightforward guidelines for the
examination and treatment of patients with TMD symptoms. A sample initial
patient questionnaire is included to help guide the clinician through the
evaluation. Guidelines for TMD self-management and discussion of occlusal
appliances assist the clinician in two primary areas of initial therapy.
Guidelines for referral assist the clinician in managing those patients who do
not adequately respond to primary therapy.

Infection Control and OSHA Update - Part 1 and 2,are authored by John A.
Molinari, PhD, director of Infection Control for The Dental Advisor. Part one of
this two-part guide discusses the history of: 1) infectious diseases and the
healthcare worker; 2) the development of guidelines by the Center for Disease
Control to protect both the patient and the healthcare worker; and 3) the OSHA
regulations that impact the dental office. It discusses standard precautions for
use during dental care, as well as vaccine recommendations and management of
dental waterlines. The second part highlights specific infection control
procedures for the dental office, including aseptic procedures and personal
protective barriers. Charts and photos provide practical guidance for the
clinician as they prepare their office, their staff and themselves to deliver
dental care.

Introduction to Dental Implant Therapy, is written by Thomas Oates Jr., DMD,
PhD, professor and vice chair of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and assistant dean for clinical research
at UTHSCSA Dental School. There are multiple implant systems as well as a wide
range of surgical and restorative options available to dental practitioners.
This guide provides a scientifically based overview of implant systems to assist
the dentist in clinical decision-making and answering patient questions
regarding therapeutic options. Considerations are provided relative to both the
surgical and restorative phases of implant therapy.

Local Anesthetics 2nd Edition, by Clarence Trummel, DDS, PhD, emeritus
professorat the School of Dental Medicine at University of Connecticut, provides
a quick review of the information that needs to be considered if adverse
outcomes are to be avoided and optimal effectiveness achieved, when dealing with
local anesthetics. The guide begins with a brief review of the pharmacology of
local anesthetics and proceeds to a discussion of side effects and toxicity with
emphasis on recognizing the symptoms of systemic toxicity. Included is a
description of the essential questions that need to be asked when a patient
indicates a past adverse experience. The guide contains a quick reference to
information on dosages for the nine local anesthetic formulations commonly used
in dentistry. The guide concludes with a discussion and evaluation of
alternative delivery methods including computer-assisted devices and topical
anesthetics.

For additional information about MetLife`s dental continuing education program,
visit www.metdental.com.

MetLife, Inc. is a leading provider of insurance, employee benefits and
financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin
America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its subsidiaries and
affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the
world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States (based on
life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities,
auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to
individuals, as well as group insurance and retirement & savings products and
services to corporations and other institutions. For more information, visit
www.metlife.com.

MetLife
Shalana Morris, 212-578-1115
snmorris@metlife.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009