Public Health Dental Question And Answers

Dental Public Health

Question 1. What is preventive dentistry. Describe briefly procedural step in dental public health.
Or
Write short note on steps in dental public health.
Or
Describe procedural steps in dental public health.
Or
Write in brief an overview on 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 a longest period of time possible”.

Procedural Steps in Dental Public Health

Survey

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

Analysis

• Second procedural step in the dental public health is analysis of the data collected from a survey.
• Data should be analyzed to define the characteristic of specific disease in community.
• Using statistical technique and multimedia like computers for analysis and staring data.

Read And Learn More: Public Health Dentistry Question And Answers

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 important role in solitary particular problems.
• Decision made by community reflects relative values which they place on solving particular problem as compared to other problems in community.

Program Operation

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

Financing

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

Program Appraisal

• Here the effectiveness of 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.

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

Concept of Public Dental Health

Comprehensive Health Care

• The term is first used by Bhore committee in 1946 by 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 availability of component professional and auxiliary personal to perform their functions.

Primary Health Care

• A new approach to health care came in existence in 1978 at international conference at Alma-Ata.
• Primary health care is essential health care made universally accessible to individual 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.

Question 3. Define public health dentistry. Describe the role of public health dentistry in promoting 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 the patient rather than 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 community basis.” By American Board of Dental Public health by Adapting Winslow’s definition (Adopted May 1976).

Role of Public Health Dentistry in Promoting Oral Health of 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.
• Strengthen community action: Oral health promotion involves increasing the ability in recognition 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.