The department Public Health Dentistry train students in public health dentistry to work within interdisciplinary teams to conduct recognizing the increasing importance of prevention in dental health. Our primary focus lies in devising effective strategies to enhance the dental well-being of the population, particularly in underserved areas lacking basic oral healthcare facilities. To bridge this gap, we actively engage in outreach activities. Moreover, the department plays a vital role in training undergraduate students in oral disease prevention and control, as well as promoting oral health through community initiatives. We encourage students to sharpen their abilities in identifying societal health issues, conducting health surveys and offering health education. This approach fosters a positive and empathetic outlook among students towards societal health challenges, instilling a sense of responsibility for improving community health. Our Mobile Dental Van reaches various parts of the Eluru district, specifically targeting rural populations, school children, individuals with special healthcare needs, and the elderly. Through this initiative, we provide a range of treatments including oral prophylaxis, restorations and extractions. Furthermore, satellite dental clinics have been established in Kovalli, Gudlavalleru and Lingapalem address the oral health needs of village populations.
Our department focus on experiential learning, with students participating in projects like rainwater harvesting and visiting facilities such as water purification plants and biomedical waste management sites. We also partner with Primary Health Centers to provide targeted health education to Anganwadi workers, enhancing their skills and promoting better healthcare outcomes. By integrating research and community service, we empower students to become informed, empathetic, and proactive contributors to society. We also mentor interns in research writing, empowering them to craft compelling narratives that effectively convey their research findings and insights.
Syllabus
- Introduction to Dentistry: Definition of Dentistry, History of dentistry, Scope, aims and objectives of Dentistry.
- Public Health:
i.Health & Disease: – Concepts, Philosophy, Definition and Characteristics
- Public Health: – Definition & Concepts, History of public health
iii. General Epidemiology: – Definition, objectives, methods
- Environmental Health: – Concepts, principles, protection, sources, purification environmental sanitation of water disposal of waste sanitation, then role in mass disorderv. Health Education: – Definition, concepts, principles, methods, and health education aidsvi. Public Health Administration: – Priority, establishment, manpower, private practice management, hospital management.
vii. Ethics and Jurisprudence: Professional liabilities, negligence, malpractice, consents, evidence, contracts, and methods of identification in forensic dentistry.
viii. Nutrition in oral diseases
- Behavioural science: Definition of sociology, anthropology and psychology and their in dental practice and community.
- Health care delivery system: Centre and state, oral health policy, primary health care, national programmes, health organizations.
Dental Public Health:
- Definition and difference between community and clinical health.
- Epidemiology of dental diseases-dental caries, periodontal diseases, malocclusion, dental fluorosis and oral cancer.
3.Survey procedures: Planning, implementation and evaluation, WHO oral health survey methods 1997, indices for dental diseases.
- Delivery of dental care: Dental auxiliaries, operational and non-operational, incremental and comprehensive health care, school dental health.
- Payments of dental care: Methods of payments and dental insurance, government plans
- Preventive Dentistry- definition, Levels, role of individual, community and profession, fluorides in dentistry, plaque control programmes.
Research Methodology and Dental Statistics
- Health Information: – Basic knowledge of Computers, MS Office, Window 2000, Statistical Programmes
- Research Methodology: -Definition, types of research, designing a written protocol
- Bio-Statistics: – Introduction, collection of data, presentation of data, Measures of Central tendency, measures of dispersion, Tests of significance, Sampling and sampling techniques types, errors, bias, blind trails and calibration.
Practice Management
- Place and locality
- Premises & layout
3.Selection of equipment
- Maintenance of records/accounts/audit.
Dentist Act 1948 with amendment.
Dental Council of India and State Dental Councils
Composition and responsibilities.
Indian Dental Association Head Office, State, local and branches.
PRACTICALS/CLINICALS/FIELD PROGRAMME IN COMMUNITY DENTISTRY: These exercises designed to help the student in IV year students:
- Understand the community aspects of dentistry
- To take up leadership role in solving community oral health programme
Exercises:
- a) Collection of statistical data (demographic) on population in India, birth rates, morbidity and mortality, literacy, per capita income
- b) Incidence and prevalence of common oral diseases like dental caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer, fluorosis at national and international levels
- c) Preparation of oral health education material posters, models, slides, lectures, play acting skits etc.
- d) Oral health status assessment of the community using indices and WHO basic oral health survey methods
- e) Exploring and planning setting of private dental clinics in rural, semi urban and urban locationsavailmentof finances for dental practices-preparing project report.
- f) Visit to primary health center-to acquaint with activities and primary health care delivery
- g) Visit to water purification plant/public health laboratory/ center for treatment of western and sewage water
- h) Visit to schools-to assess the oral health status of school children, emergency treatment and health education including possible preventive care at school (tooth brushing technique demonstration and oral rinse programme etc.)
- i) Visit to institution for the care of handicapped, physically, mentally, or medically compromised patients
- j) Preventive dentistry: in the department application of pit and fissure sealants, fluoride gel application procedure, A. R. T., Comprehensive health for 5 pts at least 2 patients
The colleges are encouraged to involve in the N.S.S. programme for college students for carrying out social work in rural areas.
SUGGESTED INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME IN COMMUNITY DENTISTRY:
- AT THE COLLEGE;
Students are posted to the department to get training in dental practice management.
(a) Total oral health care approach- in order to prepare the new graduates in their approach to diagnosis, treatment planning, cost of treatment, prevention of treatment on schedule, recall maintenance of records etc. at least 10 patients (both children and adults of all types posting for at least one month).
(b) The practice of chair side preventive dentistry including oral health education
- AT THE COMMUNITY ORAL HEALTH CARE CENTRE (ADOPTED BY THE DENTAL COLLEGE IN RURAL AREAS)
Graduates posted for at least on month to familiarize in:
(a) Survey methods, analysis and presentation of oral health assessment of school children and community independently using WHO basic oral health survey methods.
- b) Participation in rural oral health education programmes
- c) Stay in the village to understand the problems and life in rural areas
III. DESIRABLE: Learning use of computers-at least basic programme. Examination Pattern
- Index: Case History
- b) Oral hygiene indices simplified- Green and Vermilion
- c) Silness and Loe index for Plaque
- d) Loe and Silness index for gingival
- e) CPI
- f) DMF: T and S, df:t and s
- g) Deans fluoride index
- Health Education
- Make one – Audio visual aid
- Make a health talk
III. Practical work
- Pit and fissure sealant
- Topical fluoride application
Events
ENVIRONMENT DAY 5-JUNE-2025
ENVIRONMENT DAY 5-JUNE-2025 CIRCULAR
ENVIRONMENT DAY 5-JUNE-2025 ENVIRON DEPT 2024
On going research
- Comparative Efficacy of Nylon, Neem, and Charcoal-Infused Toothbrushes on Oral Hygiene: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
- Oral health in Indian residential homes –A focus on root caries in elderly population of Eluru: A cross-sectional study”
- Oral health status and related quality of life among rural and urban population in Eluru city.
- Knowledge, Attitude towards Esthetic dentistry and smile perception among dental students.
- Knowledge, Usability and Impact of wearable fitness devices among dental students in South India.
- Assessing the Impact of Dental Attire on children residing rural and urban areas of Eluru district.
- Dental myths and facts among the adolescents in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh.
- Awareness about bio medical waste management among dental students and dentists at dental college.
- Knowledge, attitude, perception of barrier of dental professionals towards artificial intelligence.
- Retrospective analysis of hospital records at cancer institute in Eluru district.
- Relationship between oral health and sleep quality in community dwelling older adults.
- Oral health knowledge and attitude among nursing students in Eluru.
- Public perception about oral hygiene practices in rural and urban areas of Eluru District.
- Junk food consumption in relation to menstrual abnormality among adolescent girls in Eluru.
- Awareness, Attitude and Practice regarding disinfection and handling of extracted teeth among the students in dental college in India.
- Association of fast food consumption and dental caries among dental students.
- Awareness about malocclusion among school teachers and college lecturers in Eluru District.
2021
- Awareness Regarding Cross – Infection and Infection Control Among Patients Attending Dental Clinics in Rajahmundry City, East Godavari District – A Cross Sectional Study. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research.
- Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Oral Health Care among Pharmacists in Kakinada City-Andhra Pradesh. International Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences
- Mucormycosis: An ignorance that cannot be ignored. Journal of cancer prevention & current Research
2022
· Effect of Physical Activity on Oral Health: A Systematic Review Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry
· Impact of Dentures on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Assisted Living Facility Elders, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry
- Tele Dentistry and its application in Public Health Dentistry
2023
- Evaluation of radio-morphometric indices of mandible using digital panoramic radiography: a radiographic study. International Journal of Dental Materials
2024
- Perceptions and Attitudes of Dental Students towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in a Teaching Institution in Guntur City. Journal of Indian Dental Association.
- Smartphone Usage and Addiction among Undergraduate Dental Students in South India: A Cross-sectional Study. Addiction & Health.
Family brushing program
The Family Brushing program is an initiative aimed at promoting oral health and hygiene within families which was launched on the world oral health day -2023. We educated around 500 families in this program till date. The main benefits of FBP is to improve oral health by introducing them the regular brushing techniques, proper oral hygiene practices. TheFBP is a valuable initiative for educating and empowering families. Families with children particularly those in undeserved communities are the target population. we used to visit the nearer communities and demonstrate the proper brushing techniques and educate them by telling the importance of proper brushing.We provided essential oral hygiene instructions and conducted screening to ensure everyone has the tools for a healthier smile. Together we are committed to enhancing oral health awareness and building a brighter future for our families. Let’s create a community where healthy smile thrives!
Smart Summer Smiles
“Smart Summer Smiles” was a community-driven oral health initiative aimed at children aged 4-12yrs which was launched in the year 2025.This was conducted in summer vacation keeping in the thought of utilizing the free time of children for the valuable oral health education.The event combined free dental screenings with interactive games to foster interest in oral hygiene, making dental care both accessible and enjoyable.Objective of the program is Providing free oral health screenings to children, educate participants on effective oral hygiene practices, utilize gamification to enhance engagement and reinforce healthy habits, Distribute oral care kits and educational materials to children.This program haveshown that game-based learning can significantly improve children’s oral health knowledge and behaviours. Incorporating games into dental education has been linked to better plaque control and increased frequency of brushing. Childrenhave participated very actively in all the games so that the oral hygiene education for them have become very easy and effective.