Public Health Dentistry is a branch of specialisation in dentistry, which focuses on the overall oral health of the community and play a major role in DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SCREENING, POLICY MAKING, TOBACCO CESSATION COUNSELLING, PLANNING AND EVALUATION OF NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, BIOSTATISTICS and RESEARCH, especially in study designs etc. The branch also deals with PREVENTIVE and CURATIVE SERVICES for individual patients and promotion of better oral health for community at large. This sector has a different role as a provider of comprehensive public care for dentists in society. Due to a lack of awareness about oral health and hygiene, the distribution of dental facilities, especially in rural areas, Public Health Dental Services is a major field. The subject of Public Health Dentistry is of vital importance to the undergraduates as well as for postgraduate students. Under the above guidelines, the main motto of the department of Public Health Dentistry is to

“PREVENT ● PROMOTE ● PROTECT”

             The goal of post graduate training in public health dentistry is to train a B.D.S Graduate who will:

• Practice public health dentistry efficiently and effectively backed by scientific knowledge and skill. To enable them to participate in MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH, POLICY MAKING and ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMME PLANNING and EXECUTION.
• Exercise empathy and caring attitude and to maintain high ethical standards.
• Continue to evince keen interest in CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION in public health dentistry and allied specialities.
• Willing to share the knowledge and skills with peers and colleagues.
• Be a competent, adept and a PROFICIENT TEACHER of the subject.
• Be an able PLANNER and EVALUATOR OF ORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
• Be an EXPERT IN STUDY DESIGNS AND CLINICAL TRAILS.
• Gain practical knowledge in establishing and running tobacco cessation centres as well as well as train their personnel.

                        The department is entirely equipped for carrying out all kinds of public oral health programs. It is extensively engaged in research activities along with frequent out-reach activities and ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS, PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTRES, COMMUNITY HALLS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR undertakings in RURAL as well as URBAN areas through 2 FULLY EQUIPPED MOBILE DENTAL VANS.

Outreach activities include, CAMPS, SCHOOL ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM, SATELLITE CENTRES AND FIELD VISITS. The Department operates 5 SATELLITE CENTRES rendering dental services in rural and urban areas. Along with this time-to-time training programmes for paramedical staff, teachers and social workers is done regarding oral hygiene practices.

The department has a TOBACCO CESSATION COUNSELLING CENTER which has proved to be a very effective way of health intervention to reduce the impact of smoked and smokeless tobacco use and is being run actively by the postgraduate students under the guidance of the faculty members.

It also has a FULL – FLEDGED DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION MUSEUM, where OPD patients are educated on routine basis. DIET COUNSELLING is done by the postgraduate students to reduce the prevalence of oral diseases.  Students (Interns and Post Graduates) give the ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTIONS, ADMINISTER TOPICAL FLUORIDE THERAPY and PIT & FISSURE SEALANTS.

Post-graduate students have to attend workshops, CDE programmes, lectures, seminars, webinars and present posters & papers in various national and international conferences to gain exposure to the recent advancement of dentistry.

Various important oral health related days (WORLD AIDS DAY, NATIONAL TOOTH BRUSHING DAY, WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY, 25 YEARS OF IAPHD, NATIONAL CONFERENCES have been organised and will be hosting INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE UNDER AEGIS OF IAPHD AND THAI SOCIETY OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY) are also celebrated by the department where the Post graduate students enthusiastically organize and participate.

Our speciality (INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY in collaboration with COLGATE PALMOLIVE INDIA LIMITED and KALINGA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES) also succeeded in achieving GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD 2019 IN WHICH 26,382 PEOPLE were brushing their teeth simultaneously.

 Hereby, the Department of Public Health Dentistry at Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow gives special emphasis on promotion of dental and orofacial awareness, prevention of dental diseases by organizing various dental health camps, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of dental problems at early stages. It also provides a healthy competitive environment for the post graduate students who are exposed to latest teaching techniques.