Public Health Dental Question And Answers

Dental Public Health

Question 1. What is preventive dentistry? Describe briefly a procedural step in dental public health.
Or
Write a short note on the steps in dental public health.
Or
Describe procedural steps in dental public health.
Or
Write in brief overview of the procedural steps in dental public health.
Answer.

Definition of Preventive Dentistry

It is defined as “that phase of dentistry concerned with prevention of healthy teeth and maintenance of oral structure in a state of optimum health for the longest period possible”.

Procedural Steps in Dental Public Health

Survey

• A survey constitutes the first step in the dental public health procedure.
• The focus of attention in a survey is a survey of the population rather than an individual.
• A survey on a dental disease in a community is based on the chief complaint of the population.
• Surveys are a method of collecting data, analyzing, and evaluating it to determine the disease problem in the community.
• Various points are included in the survey, i.e., health problems in the community, socioeconomic status of the community, attitudes of the community towards health.

Analysis

• The second procedural step in the dental public health is an analysis of the data collected from a survey.
• Data should be analyzed to define the characteristics specific disease in the community.
• Using statistical techniques and multiple,d computers for analysis and storing data.

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“Understanding public health dentistry: Goals and applications”

Program Planning

• After the program and its characteristics are analyzed, the next step is program planning.
• Design the program in such a way that, it should be accepted by the community and people show interest in it.
• Community acceptance plays an important role in solitary particular problems.
• The decision made by the community reflects the relative values that they place on solving the particular problem as compared to other problems in the community.

“Importance of public health strategies in reducing oral diseases”

Program Operation

• For the implementation of the plan, a team that consists of professionals in various disciplines has to be employed to execute the program
• The best example to be illustrated for this is: For the water fluoridation program, several disciplines have to work together.
  • The dentist: Give the prevalence of caries
  • Engineers: Design the equipment
  • Chemists: Analyze the water sample for fluoride.
  • Water work department: Has responsibility for the addition of fluoride in the water supply and periodic maintenance.

“Common challenges in implementing public health dental programs”

Financing

• It is usually through government funds or local or state authorities.
• Before putting the program into action, the finances should be managed by public health personnel.

Program Appraisal

• Here, the effectiveness of the program is assessed. It is the final step in any dental public health program.
• The base line data collected prior to introduction of dental public health program serve as an indicator against which the effectiveness of the program can be assessed.
• Various dimensions are used for the appraisal of programme. The dimensions are adequacy, efficiency, appropriateness, etc.

“Signs of oral health disparities in underserved populations”

Question 2. Describe the concept and philosophy of public dental health.
Answer.

Concept of Public Dental Health

Comprehensive Health Care

• The term was first used by the Bhore committee in 1946 for comprehensive service.
• Bhore committee meant provision of integrated preventive curative and promotional health service for “Vomb to Tomb” to every individual residing in a defined geographical area.
• The concept from the basis of national health planning in India and lead to establishment of a network of primary health center and sub-center.

Basic Health Services

• In 1965, the term basic health services was used by UNICEF and WHO in their joint health policy.
• They define the term as follows: the basic health service is understood to be a network of coordinated peripheral and intermediate health unit capable of performing effectively a selected group of functions essential to the health of an area and the availability of component professional and auxiliary personal to perform their functions.

Primary Health Care

• A new approach to health care came into existence in 1978 at the International Conference at Alma-Ata.
• Primary health care is essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and acceptable to them through their full participation and at a cost the community and country can afford.

Philosophy of Public Dental Health

The term public health came into general use around 1840.

The science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life and promoting health and efficiency through organized community effort for the sanitation of the environment, the control of communicable infections, the education of the individual in the personal hygiene, the organization of the medical and nursing services for early diagnosis and preventive treatment of diseases and the development of social machinery to ensure for every individual a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health.

“Role of socioeconomic factors in oral health outcomes”

Question 3. Define public health dentistry. Describe the role of public health dentistry in promoting the oral health of the community.
Answer. Public health dentistry is defined as “The science and art of preventing and controlling dental diseases and promoting dental health through organized community efforts. It is that form of dental practice which serves the community as a patient rather than an individual. It is concerned with the dental health education of the public with applied dental research and with the administration or group dental care programs, as well as the prevention and control of dental diseases on a community basis.” By the American Board of Dental Public Health, by adapting Winslow’s definition (Adopted May 1976).

Role of Public Health Dentistry in Promoting Oral Health of the Community

• Create supportive environment: It means making healthy choices the easy choices, creating such physical and social environment that maximizes the possibility of leading healthy lives. Providing minimal information necessary to prevent oral diseases, for example banning of smoking in work place and public areas. Encourage shops that are near to schools to stock, promote and sell sugar free foods.
• Build healthy public policy: It means working to ensure that all organizations specially central government and policy makers, must take account of the potential health effects of the policies they develop and implement. A food and health policy to reduce production and consumption of non-milk extrinsic refined sugar. Policy on water fluoridation.

“Treatment options based on public health dental findings”

• Strengthen community action: Oral health promotion involves increasing the ability to recognize and modification of such physical and social environment by the community which are hazardous to health. It involves public participation and works through the actions of communities in identifying priorities, planning strategies, and their implementation in improving health.
• Develop personal skills: Individuals and communities can be motivated to take actions which improve their health. They should be provided with necessary information and education so as to enable them to adopt practices which promote health and enhance their ability to cope with stress and strains of life. Differentiate between lay beliefs and practices that are health promoting and those that are harmful and need to be changed.
• Reorient health services: It involves the shift from traditional system of curing the diseases to prevention of diseases and promotion of health. Make health services more accessible and acceptable to group that are disadvantaged.