Dharmsinh Desai University | Public Health Dentistry

In dentistry, as is with most other branches of medicine – Prevention is indeed better than cure. Thankfully, the preventive measures in dentistry are both affordable and easy to follow. All that is required is awareness. Thus, the Department of Public Health Dentistry concentrates on creating dental hygiene awareness and guides dental students to uplift their moral values and contribute in development of a healthy society. The department was founded in the year of 2005 with the goal of offering graduate studies in Public health dentistry. Executing the treatment part to the patient is very important. It is equally important to educate the people about dentistry. Level of prevention for oral and dental disease in layman terminology if explained to the people helps a lot to reduce man power need. Thus, department concentrates about creating awareness among population and guides dental students to uplift their moral values and contribute in development of a healthy society.

Facilities

Modern well-equipped mobile dental van to approach remote areas of district

Library with latest books and journals for undergraduate studies

Models and charts for patient as well as student's education

a clinic with all modern facilities

a well ventilated hall to promote education based programmes

Services

Lack of awareness and negligence about oral health care is common in our society because more than half of the population consists of poor and illiterate people. Department frequently conducts free dental health check-up camps which targets such population especially:

School children

Villages

Old age home

Orphanage

Rehabilitation centres

Community with special need and care like handicapped or mentally retarded children

Students are trained to use the knowledge during graduation, in helping the community to understand the need of oral health care. Dr. Heena Pandya leads the Department. Her team designs the under graduate study schedule and practical work, trains for the leadership and guidance, and prepare education materials like poster, models and audio-visual for students.

Societal Services

Community people are informed about different oral diseases, reasons for the occurrence and methods of prevention.
Interest towards oral health care is generated using various visual and auditory aids.
Lectures, discussions, posters, models, seminars, charts, etc. are used.
Role of a public health department is not just to create awareness about oral health care but to make people believe that an extremely important and technique sensitive procedures of dental care are available for them at negligible cost in this institution.
Prevention of diseases is ethical and cost efficient. Therefore, Department tries to deliver dental prophylaxis and other oral hygiene measures to the community.
Entire institute is concerned in providing efficient, easy, affordable, accessible and satisfactory oral health care.
Phobia, fears and all misconceptions about dental treatment are tried to be eradicated.
People living in remote areas and people with special needs who are not able to reach private dental clinics are targeted.
Delivery of satisfactory preventive and treatment options help the community people to have aesthetically pleasant and functionally efficient oral cavity.
To encourage individuals about ill-effects of tobacco consumption as well as other destructive habits like oral piercing, thumb sucking, mouth breathing etc.
These services have psychological benefit to the community boosting their confidence.

Societal Services

By conducting various awareness programmes students learn various qualities like responsibility, team effort, to provide oral health care available to every individual irrespective of their socio-economic status.

Dental ethics are incorporated from the beginning.