Course in Community Dentistry

The primary goal of the dept. of community dentistry is to provide comprehensive dental care services in rural areas through outreach services of Christian Dental College & Hospital, Ludhiana. The Department is involved with the teaching of undergraduate students and interns under the guidance of professors, Readers and Senior Lecturers.

Changes in dietary habits, dietary patterns and nutritional constituents of foods brought about by adoption of western culture and food habits have resulted in significant increase in the incidence and prevalence of oral and dental diseases in the country.

Lack of dental awareness and non-availability of dental care facilities in the rural, Far-flung and slum areas have further aggravated this problem because 70% of the population resides in these areas but most of the dental care facilities are available to the 30% of the population in the urban areas and the affluent sections of the society.


Keeping in view all the above factors, the Christian Dental College and Hospital, Ludhiana has drawn up a comprehensive oral health plan to provide promotive, educative, preventive, prophylactic, curative and oral rehabilitative services to these rural people at their doorsteps in the villages. To achieve this objective, the Christian Dental College Ludhiana has converted an old Medical van into the Dental Van and equipped it with the necessary dental equipment and instruments.

Activities

Aims :
To Provide training in the subject of Community Dentistry to the undergraduates and interns in real-life situations in the rural areas, slums, urban centers, schools, old age homes, orphanages etc.

To improve the Oral health status of the people of the selected areas by laying emphasis on social and preventive measures which are essential to maintain positive oral health.

To provide comprehensive oral health care services (including promotive, preventive, prophylactic and curative) to the people at their doorsteps in the rural areas and the school children in their school.

To launch an effective campaign to create awareness about the importance of oral health care amongst the people by involving community leaders, elected representatives from the people, school teachers, opinion leaders, school children through socially acceptable means of communication.

To make people participate in oral health promotion, because health promotion is possible with people, only when they know that they are going to benefit from the change.

The Christian Dental College observes a dental health week in the month of September each year. A massive drive is launched to create awareness about oral health amongst the people through:

1. Oral health exhibition with the help of charts, models and chair side demonstration.

2. On the spot painting competition

3. Healthy teeth competition

4. Relay races, cycle marches

5. Skits on oral health

6. Folk songs through gidha and bhangra.

7. Articles on oral health in the press

8. Display of slogans on oral health

9. Talk through electronic media like T.V, radio and cable network.