The Silent Risk: Legal and Clinical Consequences of Ignoring Dry Mouth

With Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, FIADFE And Dr. Steven Feit, Prosthodontist, Expert Witness Consultant

Course Description:

Dry mouth, referred to as xerostomia, is not simply a nuisance. It’s a red flag with far-reaching clinical and legal implications. The webinar will uncover the widespread prevalence of xerostomia, its multifactorial causes, and the often-overlooked impact on oral and systemic health, and quality of life. Participants will gain practical chairside strategies for early detection and management, while also examining the serious liability risks of failing to assess, document and manage this condition. Dr. Steven Feit, an award-winning prosthodontist and Expert Witness Consultant to law firms across the U.S., will bring firsthand insight into the liability risks that face dental professionals of ignoring this very common oral condition. Joining Dr. Feit is Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, a recognized thought leader and international speaker who will demonstrate the ease of identifying dry mouth through chairside assessment and managing with innovative, evidence-based solutions. Be prepared to emerge with actionable strategies to successfully integrate dry mouth management that will elevate patient care while protecting your practice.

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Understand the prevalence of xerostomia and its diverse etiologic pathways.
• Integrate simple chairside assessment protocols to direct management of dry mouth..
• Recognize the consequences of untreated dry mouth from oral and systemic health deterioration to restorative failure.
• Analyze legal and professional liability risks associated with failure to assess, document, and manage xerostomia..
• Explore practical strategies and treatment options for effectively managing xerostomia within an interdisciplinary care team.

Thank You to Our Course Sponsor

Aquoral

To learn more about Aquoral, visit: www.aquoralspray.com

About the Presenters:

Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, FIADFE A respected thought leader and international, award-winning speaker, Jo-Anne Jones, has delivered over 1,000 presentations worldwide. Jo-Anne, a registered dental hygienist with decades of clinical and educational experience, brings life, energy, and inspiration to every presentation, making her a highly sought-after lecturer within the dental community. She is a past honoree of DPR’s Top 25 Women in Dentistry and joins the 2026 Dentistry Today CE Leaders for the 16th consecutive year. In recognition of her contributions to the field of dentistry, Jo-Anne was awarded a Fellowship in 2021 by the International Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics. Jo-Anne was instrumental in launching the international 'Check Your Mouth' campaign promoting oral self-examination between professional visits. Her work focuses on urgent issues within the dental field, such as oral and oropharyngeal cancer screening and HPV awareness, highlighting the latest research and practical applications for healthcare professionals. A frank and open lecture style and a focus on direct knowledge translation have earned Jo-Anne many loyal followers both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Steven Feit (pronounced: Fight), is a Prosthodontist in Boca Raton, Florida: Steven and Traci have four kids, a girl and three boys. Steve earned his BS from Mulenberg College in Allentown, PA and was admitted after only three years of college to earn his DMD degree from Rutgers Dental School in NJ, he then completed his Prosthodontic Residency at The Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry at Boston University. Steve is a former “abused associate” in a practice in Red Bank NJ which motivated him to start his own practice from “scratch” in Boca Raton, Florida in 1990. Dr. Feit is a an Expert Witness for malpractice, Intellectual Property and Personal Injury cases for several dozen law firms over the past 35 years and has served as an Expert Witness for the Florida Board of Dentistry. He is member of numerous professional dental societies. He has a consulting firm to facilitate 2-8x of Dental Practices. He has conducted cancer research and biomechanical dental research, has patents on instrumentation and is former Assistant Clinical Professor of Prosthodontics at Rutgers Dental School and a former Clinical Teaching fellow at The Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry at Boston University. Dr. Feit has been implementing the “Paddi Lund” style of “frontdeskless” dentistry which is happiness centered for the past several decades. He has created a referral machine. Steve has taught Krav Maga, has restored dozens of classic American Muscle cars and was invited to instructional league baseball by the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins. He will show you step by step and with the proper verbal skills how to implement this information for predictable clinical results and how to manage these procedures for enhanced profit. The goal: to perform and not practice with the goal of happy paying patients, who refer and repeat!