Applied Pharmacology for the Dental
Hygienist Chapter 1 updated 2026
• Pharmacology -✓✓Study of drugs & their interactions w/living cells & systems.
• What are drugs? -✓✓Chemical substances (for humans/animals) used in the
diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease or other abnormal conditions.
• Drugs include synthetically derived? -✓✓Compounds, Vitamins, Minerals & Herbal
Supplements (HS are marketed as food supplements, NOT drugs).
• Which health care providers can write prescriptions? -✓✓Physicians (for Humans),
Veterinarians (for Animals), Dentists (for Dental problems), Optometrists (for Eye
problems). In certain states, under certain guidelines, Physicians' Assistants, Nurse
Practitioners, Pharmacists & Dental Hygienists can prescribe drugs.
• PharmacoTherapy -✓✓Use of medications to Treat Different Disease States.
• PharmacoDynamics -✓✓Study of the Actions of drugs on Living Organisms.
• PharmacoKinetics -✓✓Study of what the Body does to a drug; measurement of the
Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism & Excretion of drug from the body.
• Pharmacy -✓✓Practice of Compounding, Preparing, Dispensing & Counseling of pts
about their medications.
• Toxicology -✓✓Study of the Harmful Effects of drugs on Living Tissues.
• Pt taking Calcium Channel Blockers for Hypertension may experience what? -
✓✓Xerostomia
• Pt taking Aspirin daily to prevent Heart Attack/Stroke may experience what? -
✓✓Gingival Bleeding
• Pt having an Anaphylactic Reaction, what must be administered quickly? -
✓✓Epinephrine
• When should Asthmatic pts who experience dental anxiety schedule their apts in order
to avoid an Asthma Attack? -✓✓When they are NOT rushed or under pressure-early in
the morning.
, • When should Diabetic pts be scheduled? -✓✓90 minutes AFTER meals & medication
administration.
• What do pts w/a history of Infective Endocarditis need before some of their dental or
dental hygiene apts? -✓✓Premedication w/Antibiotics.
• A reference book no more than how many years old is needed bc of the continual
release of new drugs? -✓✓1-2 years.
• When a drug is being investigated by a company, what is it identified by? -✓✓Its
Chemical Name, which is determined by it's Chemical Structure.
• What if the chemical structure is unknown at the time of investigation? -✓✓A code
name, usually a combo of letters & numbers is assigned to the product. Ex: RU-486
• How many generic names and trade names can a drug have? -✓✓Each drug has only
1 Generic Name but may have several Trade Names.
• What happens after the original manufacturer's patents has expired? -✓✓Other
companies can market the generic drug under a trade name of their choosing.
• What does the FDA require of the generic drug? -✓✓That the Active Ingredient of the
generic product enter the bloodstream at the same rate as the trade name product.
• When is a drug termed Chemically Equivalent? -✓✓When 2 formulations of a drug
meet the Chemical & Physical standards established by the regulatory agencies.
• When is a drug termed Biologically Equivalent? -✓✓When 2 formulations produce
similar concentrations of the drug in the Blood & Tissues.
• When is a drug termed Therapeutically Equivalent? -✓✓When the drugs prove to have
equal Therapeutic Effects in a clinical trial.
• A preparation can be Chemically Equivalent yet not be what? -✓✓Biologically or
Therapeutically Equivalent. They are said to differ in their Bioavailability.
• Generic drugs must be shown to be what before they are marketed? -✓✓They must be
shown to be Biologically Equivalent, making them Therapeutically Equivalent.
• What must be determined before a drug can be approved by the FDA? -✓✓It must be
determined to be both Safe & Effective.
• Bc the FDA is more strict than regulatory bodies in other countries, drugs are often
marketed where? -✓✓In Europe & South America before they are available in the U.S.
Hygienist Chapter 1 updated 2026
• Pharmacology -✓✓Study of drugs & their interactions w/living cells & systems.
• What are drugs? -✓✓Chemical substances (for humans/animals) used in the
diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease or other abnormal conditions.
• Drugs include synthetically derived? -✓✓Compounds, Vitamins, Minerals & Herbal
Supplements (HS are marketed as food supplements, NOT drugs).
• Which health care providers can write prescriptions? -✓✓Physicians (for Humans),
Veterinarians (for Animals), Dentists (for Dental problems), Optometrists (for Eye
problems). In certain states, under certain guidelines, Physicians' Assistants, Nurse
Practitioners, Pharmacists & Dental Hygienists can prescribe drugs.
• PharmacoTherapy -✓✓Use of medications to Treat Different Disease States.
• PharmacoDynamics -✓✓Study of the Actions of drugs on Living Organisms.
• PharmacoKinetics -✓✓Study of what the Body does to a drug; measurement of the
Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism & Excretion of drug from the body.
• Pharmacy -✓✓Practice of Compounding, Preparing, Dispensing & Counseling of pts
about their medications.
• Toxicology -✓✓Study of the Harmful Effects of drugs on Living Tissues.
• Pt taking Calcium Channel Blockers for Hypertension may experience what? -
✓✓Xerostomia
• Pt taking Aspirin daily to prevent Heart Attack/Stroke may experience what? -
✓✓Gingival Bleeding
• Pt having an Anaphylactic Reaction, what must be administered quickly? -
✓✓Epinephrine
• When should Asthmatic pts who experience dental anxiety schedule their apts in order
to avoid an Asthma Attack? -✓✓When they are NOT rushed or under pressure-early in
the morning.
, • When should Diabetic pts be scheduled? -✓✓90 minutes AFTER meals & medication
administration.
• What do pts w/a history of Infective Endocarditis need before some of their dental or
dental hygiene apts? -✓✓Premedication w/Antibiotics.
• A reference book no more than how many years old is needed bc of the continual
release of new drugs? -✓✓1-2 years.
• When a drug is being investigated by a company, what is it identified by? -✓✓Its
Chemical Name, which is determined by it's Chemical Structure.
• What if the chemical structure is unknown at the time of investigation? -✓✓A code
name, usually a combo of letters & numbers is assigned to the product. Ex: RU-486
• How many generic names and trade names can a drug have? -✓✓Each drug has only
1 Generic Name but may have several Trade Names.
• What happens after the original manufacturer's patents has expired? -✓✓Other
companies can market the generic drug under a trade name of their choosing.
• What does the FDA require of the generic drug? -✓✓That the Active Ingredient of the
generic product enter the bloodstream at the same rate as the trade name product.
• When is a drug termed Chemically Equivalent? -✓✓When 2 formulations of a drug
meet the Chemical & Physical standards established by the regulatory agencies.
• When is a drug termed Biologically Equivalent? -✓✓When 2 formulations produce
similar concentrations of the drug in the Blood & Tissues.
• When is a drug termed Therapeutically Equivalent? -✓✓When the drugs prove to have
equal Therapeutic Effects in a clinical trial.
• A preparation can be Chemically Equivalent yet not be what? -✓✓Biologically or
Therapeutically Equivalent. They are said to differ in their Bioavailability.
• Generic drugs must be shown to be what before they are marketed? -✓✓They must be
shown to be Biologically Equivalent, making them Therapeutically Equivalent.
• What must be determined before a drug can be approved by the FDA? -✓✓It must be
determined to be both Safe & Effective.
• Bc the FDA is more strict than regulatory bodies in other countries, drugs are often
marketed where? -✓✓In Europe & South America before they are available in the U.S.
