Buddha Dental College & Hospital

Overview

The Department of Public Health Dentistry at Buddha Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Patna, Bihar, has started in the year 2000. This speciality of dentistry caters to the oral needs of the community at large rather than focussing on the individual. It aims to develop and provide leadership qualities and expertise needed in population- based dentistry, oral health policy development, community based oral health preventive and promotion initiatives and channelize more efforts on patient centred care rather than the disease centred care.The department educates undergraduate and postgraduate students with a curriculum in critical thinking, Evidence based clinical care and clinical competence. Department provides oral care services to the needy in the community outreach program and serves as a resource service unit for implementing oral health policy matters.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

The course is delivered as a series containing a mix of lectures, clinical chairside training, seminars, journal clubs, workshops complemented by e-learning.

Manage oral health programs for population health improvement.

Demonstrate ethical decision-making in the practice of dental public health.

Evaluate healthcare systems and policies that impact oral health outcomes.

Design surveillance systems to assess oral health status and its determinants.

Effectively communicate oral and public health issues to diverse audiences.

Lead interdisciplinary collaborations on oral and public health initiatives.

Advocate for public health policies, legislation, and regulations that promote oral health.

Critically appraise scientific evidence to address oral health challenges.

Conduct research to solve oral and public health problems.

Integrate social determinants of health into dental public health practice.

Final year BDS

Theory classes

Case history taking and assessment of oral health using relevant indices

Preventive clinical procedures: Topical fluoride application, pit and fissure sealants, preventive resin restorations & atraumatic restorative treatment

Field visit programmes

Short-term student research projects

Oral health education talks

Presentation of oral health education materials

Interns

Comprehensive care approach (One month posting)- The new residents/ Interns involve in diagnosis, comprehensive treatment planning with emphasis on various preventive modalities for dental treatment, periodic recall of patients including maintenance of patient records of at least 10 patients (both paediatric and adults). Survey methods, analysis and presentation of oral health assessment of school children and community independently using WHO basic oral health survey methods. Participation in rural oral health education programmes and dental camps including visits to the Primary health centre in the outreach

Post Graduate students

Attend basic sciences classes (1st year postgraduate students)

Seminars and journal club

Clinical case history presentations and discussions including relevant indices

Comprehensive dental care

Preventive clinical dental procedures

Tobacco cessation counselling

Attend satellite centre / PHC

Outreach programmes and dental screening camps

Organizing and carrying out dental camps in urban and rural areas

Oral health education programmes

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

The department of Public Health Dentistry has continuously organised and encouraged continued dental education programmes at both under-graduate and post-graduate levels across all departments to learn and execute research projects

THE DEPARTMENT FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

Tobacco cessation counselling clinic (since 2014) serving 400–450 patients annually

Extensive outreach programmes serving a population of nearly 3000 annually

Active participation in Special Olympics Bharat, Special Smiles, and mega health camps organised by the Government of India

Ongoing school dental health programme in Patna district

Undertake multidisciplinary research activities

Fully furnished mobile dental clinic serving rural and needy populations

Rural satellite dental health centres providing clinical dental services at Pahari and Gurudwara, Patna Sahib

Supporting public health initiatives such as World Oral Health Day, World Health Day, and No Tobacco Day to raise awareness

COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL CLINIC:

Department has a well established clinic which offers overall oral health care and various preventive measures such as oral prophylaxis, health education, pit & fissure sealant & topical fluoride application, GIC & composite restorations, pulp therapies, extractions and referral to other speciality departments for the patients of all age groups.

TOBACCO CESSATION CENTRE (TCC):

Tbacco is a legally available substance that will kill people who use it. Tobacco use, a human-made epidemic, kills about millions of people globally. The tobacco epidemic worldwide is affecting the poorer and least educated the most. Hence, health care providers play an important role in tobacco cessation and abstinence. Dental professionals play a significant role in identifying smokers and smokeless tobacco users, they are thus in a better position to offer preventive care.In this view, we started Tobacco Cessation Centre (TCC) in the department of Public Health Dentistry,BIDSH, Patna in 2014. Faculty members of public health dentistry were trained for tobacco cessation counselling, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and behavioral counselling in co-ordination with other departments. Patients not only from our state, but also from outside state come to receive the TCC benefits. Tobacco quit rates are also satisfactory. Regular training of postgraduate and undergraduate students in tobacco cessation counselling is done in our department.

SCHOOL ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

Schools are adopted by the department and exclusive oral health awareness and screening programs are conducted among school children periodically.

RDENTAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS:

SATELLITE DENTAL CLINICS

Step towards to reach the unreachable and serve them at their door steps. The concept of prevention of disease, prolonging life and promoting healthy lifestyles is central to our objectives. The department provides oral health services free of cost and encourages referrals of complex cases to be treated on priority basis at the institutional set up.

DENTAL CAMPS & MOBILE DENTAL UNIT

Mobile & portable dental services provide an innovative solution in bringing dental care to the doorsteps of the underprivileged and rural population as well as an village has been adopted to render comprehensive oral health care and the basic dental services. Mobile dental clinics provide comprehensive dental services through outreach programs focusing on education, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The target population are children from the economically disadvantaged groups, indigent people, elderly and disabled who would otherwise have no access to dentistry. Department attempts relentlessly to harmonise and integrate teaching – learning activities with community service and community based research. The department efficiently integrated doing research with teaching research.