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Four disciplines fall under the Department of Preventive
Dentistry: Orthodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Periodontics and
Dental Public Health.
This discipline deals with diseases of the gums. It is one of the first clinical subjects the undergraduate encounters in the dental course. Through the lectures, tutorials and clinical sessions, undergraduates study about the normal and pathological tissues of the periodontium as well as the aetiology and classification of gingival and periodontal disease. Students in their third and final year treat patients with periodontal problems. They are also given the opportunity to perform simple periodontal surgical procedures during their final year.
Orthodontics deals with the development of dentoaveolar and craniofacial structures. This course comprises lectures, tutorials and clinical sessions, and aims to provide undergraduates with the skill and expertise to diagnose positional abberations of the teeth and jaws. It also equips the students with the ability to treat simple cases of malocclusion with removable and functional appliances. Sometimes, students are given the opportunity to apply fixed appliances in the treatment of simple malocclusions.
Paediatric Dentistry teaches the prevention, diagnosis and management of dental conditions in the young. The pre-clinical course, which consists of lectures and paediatric operative techniques, is conducted in the third year. Paediatric dentistry clinical sessions begin in the final year. Here, students are given the opportunity to treat and manage dental conditions in young children.
Dental Public Health aims to educate students on the aetiology , history and epidemiology of common dental diseases in order to prevent and control them. To help students understand public health programmes, the planning and organisational evaluation of dental services are outlined to them. Basic research methods and statistical principles required in dental research and epidemiology are also covered. The Department of Preventive Dentistry has established a few major areas of research. They include"Dental Care For The Disabled", "Craniofacial anomalies and quality assurance in clinical practice", and "The clinical application of lasers".
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