1. Title of Practice
Reaching out to the community.
2. Objectives of the practice
a) Reaching the community through health education, preventive dental care, camps, and comprehensive oral treatment.
b) Participation in national/state level government programme.
c) Tobacco cessation Clinic, telephonic councelling.
d) Maintaining a good teaching standard at both UG and PG level.
e) Conducting need based research using recent instruments procured by department.
3. The Context
The outreach activity of the department is achieved by four satellite centers and daily activities are conducted through two mobile dental clinics which provide preventive/curative services to the marginalized sections of the society at their doorstep for free of cost.
Target populations include:Senior citizens, Orphans, Differently abled children, Factory workers, Communities at large visiting local government health centers and Jail Inmates.
4. The Practice
Undergraduate, Post graduate and staff research projects have been encouraged by the department in order to expose the students towards research protocols. Department is part of State level project ie. Pit and Fissure Sealant programunder National Oral Health Program. Research has been carried out keeping the masses in mind and has been published in peer reviewed journals (Pubmed 13, Scopus 6and UGC care list 10 publications).The department has been able to procure research grants of Rs.2,47,500 through industrial funding and DPU funding of Rs.17,12,874. Grants have been received from Colgate Pamolive, Nestle International, NarrotamSekhsariaFoundation, Mumbai and ICMR. The students have been encouraged to present papers and posters at national and international conferences and have won laurels for the department. The staff/post graduate/UG students have volunteered to the Life Line Express camps at various locations in UP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra for selfless services to be rendered.
5. Evidence of Success
Evidence of success – The department is committed towards spreading awareness regarding oral health in PimpriChinchwad, (PCMC) Pune and beyond. Tobacco cessation activates have been incorporated at every departmental and outreach camp settings. Visit to the Govt. Rural Health Centre, Chakan has helped the locals in improving the oral health. In last five years the department has catered 1, 56,167patients through the mobile dental services, 42,803 through the Alandi Satellite Centre and 10,208 male inmates of the Yerawada Jail.14619 through the Kamsheth Satellite Centre, 1,510 through the SPPU Satellite Centre, department 40,660patients.
The department in total has cratered 2, 64,751patients since 2014.This has helped the college procure more number of patients, as all specialty care is not rendered through outreach programs.Dental health Survey of 6772 people have been completd.andhealth education has been provided to about 73,981 in the community which includes school children, tobacco addicts and general public through outreach programs. Visits (64) to Primary Health Centers and Water Purification Plant are also arranged for students.
The staff achievement for the year 2014 to 2019 consist of best abstract and paper presentation, best short film, mannequin challenge and best innovative technology awards at national level. Students from the department received awards for best poster, oral health prevention message, educational documentary and essay competition at national level.