Public health dentistry

VISION

Aim to improve the oral health of the community through preventive and curative service.

MISSION

• Plan, implement and evaluate community oral health program.
• Improve access to dental care for underserved populations.
• To understand the distribution and determinants of oral diseases in the community through various researches.

OVERVIEW

The department of Public Health Dentistry deals with the prevention of oral diseases in the community and promotion of oral health among the population. Dental public health focuses on collective well being of the community and not on individual dental patients. Our department lays special emphasis on patient education, community-based disease prevention, health promotion and preventive dental measures.

The Undergraduate program aims to train the students in prevention and control of oral diseases and promotion of oral health through organized community efforts. The Department encourages the students to develop the skill of identifying health problems affecting the society, conduct health surveys, and provide health education and also deciding health strategies to solve the health problems. Students therefore, develop a positive and empathetic attitude towards the problems of the society and take responsibilities in improving their health. The students will also be trained for the planning, implementation and operation of dental public health programs, and also provide with an understanding of the processes through which health policies are developed and regulated.
The department operates a modern well equipped mobile dental clinic that travels to even remote locations and serves rural communities. The department also provides various health education models and public addressing system for the purpose of public health education.

Public health dentistry recognizes that oral health is deeply interconnected with the overall health and wellbeing. It involves work in the community from the ground up to prevent and control dental diseases and improve dental wellness. Public health dentists are actively involved in the research, education, and strategic direction developed by health agencies to build a healthy community. They ensure that access to dental care is not restricted to certain sections of the community alone, but reach further to the undeserved population as well. By educating the public about the importance of oral health, public health dentistry also aims to instill a sense of empowerment in individuals to take ownership of their own oral health and help them better the oral health of their loved ones. The most powerful strategy and effective intervention that can be implemented in public health dentistry is education of the masses. By ensuring that people are adequately informed about oral health and the implications of oral diseases on their overall health, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of many oral diseases.

Prevention is the best strategy to promote good oral health. Therefore, public health dentists adopt focused prevention strategies in the communities they work with.  Any prevention strategy conceived by health agencies is only effective when the necessary behavioural modifications are initiated and sustained successfully. Better oral health can only be achieved by providing information and educating the people on what they should and should not do. Discipline on the parts of the recipients of the information and their dedication towards making lifestyle and behavioural modifications is key to ensure improvement of oral health.