Dental public health is a branch of dentistry that focuses on promoting dental health through coordinated, neighbourhood-based initiatives and on the prevention, control, and treatment of dental illnesses.
The American Dental Association has recognized dental public health as a specialty since 1950. It is regarded as a distinct, non-clinical field focused on promoting dental and oral health across populations rather than individuals.
Most experts in this field work for primary care trusts or health authorities, while some accept academic positions, for instance, with the Department of Health or in universities. Dental public health professionals offer leadership and direction in fields like population-based dentistry, disease control, the promotion of dental health, and the monitoring of oral health.
How crucial is Dental Public Health?
The importance of dental health can't be overstated because it's crucial to overall health and wellbeing. Despite tremendous progress, oral illness is prevalent in all populations and, more critically, places a significant burden on some underprivileged or vulnerable populations. The way dental public health seeks to serve the community as a patient rather than the individual sets it apart from other dental specialties. With a focus on preventing oral diseases and providing suitable preventative and treatment services to the entire population, it seeks to enhance oral health at the population level.
Dental Public Health Specialists' Main Focus
Dental public health professionals' main duties include the following:
· Oral health evaluation:
To identify and research dental health issues and risks in the community, keep an eye on the status of oral health in the community, community health requirements, and epidemiological concerns. To do this, regular information gathering and dissemination are necessary.
· Implementation of oral health policies:
This entails preserving oral health units within state or local health organizations, mobilizing community partnerships, developing policies and plans to identify and address the needs and issues related to community oral health, implementing laws and regulations that safeguard the dental health and safety of the community, and assessing the efficacy, accessibility, and standard of personal/population-based dental health services. In addition to this, dental public health also promotes social justice, facilitates access to dental treatment, and looks for innovative ways to address dental health issues.
· Assurance of oral health:
Dental public health professionals ensure the reliability and availability of oral health services by promoting and enforcing legislation to protect and improve oral health, educating the public about dental health issues, connecting people to the services they need, and providing dental treatment when it is otherwise unavailable, maintaining an adequate public health workforce, implementing and supporting prevention programs, and evaluating their efficacy.
Dental Public Health's Future
Even though significant progress has been made in terms of availability and quality, dental public health professionals still face significant obstacles in preventing and controlling oral illnesses and expanding access to and affordability of dental care. Dental public health coalitions and cooperative partnerships must stay united and work together both now and, in the future, to make it feasible for everyone to access preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures for oral disorders.
Dr Amna Bilal
The author is a contributing writer at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at amna0795@yahoo.com
