Department of Public Health Dentistry
Prevention, education and community outreach — taking oral health beyond the chair and into schools, villages and homes.
Oral health, for the community
The Department of Public Health Dentistry at SMIDS is dedicated to undergraduate students. The subject is taught in the third year and final year with special emphasis on the concept of prevention. Students are trained in Research Methodology and topics of vital importance like Ethics, Dental Finance and Jurisprudence.
Interns attend dental camps and perform initial screening examinations, and are sensitised to the specific needs of varied patient populations. Our outreach programmes are organised under three flagship initiatives — SMILE, SCOPE and SMART — together with a dedicated Tobacco Cessation Centre that supports patients who want to quit tobacco usage.
Our flagship community programmes
Catering to people with special needs and economically deprived communities through targeted oral-health empowerment.
A preventive school health programme building lifelong oral hygiene habits among children.
Community dental screening and treatment camps with onward referral pathways.
Counselling and support to patients who want to quit tobacco usage in any form.
SCOPE · SMART · SMILE
SCOPE
What drives the department
Aims to improve community oral health by focusing on prevention, education and disease control rather than just individual treatment. Key objectives ensure equitable access, surveillance through epidemiology and the formulation of effective public-health policies.
Implementing programmes that prevent dental diseases and promote everyday oral hygiene practices.
Ensuring dental services — especially preventive care — reach underserved and rural populations.
Epidemiological surveys to identify needs, assess risks and evaluate programme effectiveness.
Empowering individuals to take charge of their own oral health through awareness and literacy.
Creating, implementing and evaluating oral-health policies that lift community health standards.
Conducting research that informs better oral-health strategies, services and policies.
Our team
| S.No | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Joe Joseph, MDS | Professor and HOD |
| 2 | Dr. Roshni. R. S, MDS | Senior Lecturer |
| 3 | Dr. Manoj Kumar, BDS | Lecturer |
Where our students practise
General dentistry, delivered widely
General dentistry services delivered within the department's clinical setting.
Basic dental procedures performed at peripheral health centres for accessibility.
Field-based screening and basic treatment across our community outreach drives.
Final-year BDS curriculum at SMIDS
The Public Health Dentistry teaching programme for final-year BDS students at The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University is a mandatory, clinical and theoretical curriculum focused on epidemiology, preventive dentistry and oral-health advocacy. It emphasises rural outreach, school-based health initiatives and community dentistry to address oral-health issues at the grassroots level.
Dental epidemiology, biostatistics, survey methodology, health education, school dental health and management of comprehensive oral-healthcare programmes.
Regular rural dental health-care programmes and school-based dental clinics for community-based oral health promotion.
Active participation in dental health advocacy and literacy campaigns.
Training in the application of various indices including the WHO Oral Health Assessment Form.
Topical fluoride application, pit and fissure sealants and oral prophylaxis delivered in community settings.
Lectures, small-group discussions, seminars and field demonstrations supporting an integrated learning experience.
Public Health Dentistry is a key subject in the final-year BDS exam with a theory paper and a clinical/practical examination. As per Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University regulations, students must meet strict attendance requirements (90% in theory and practicals) to appear for the final examination. The programme follows guidelines from the Dental Council of India.
Events, Merits & Publications
A complete list of departmental CDE programmes, workshops and events.
Departmental and student awards, recognitions and milestones.
Faculty and PG publications in peer-reviewed dental journals.
Sustained outreach across SMILE, SCOPE and SMART programmes serving thousands of beneficiaries.
Awards earned for scientific presentations, posters and community-health initiatives.
Documented success in counselling-led tobacco quit support at the Tobacco Cessation Centre.
Faculty publish regularly in indexed national and international dental journals.
Evidence to drive better policy
The department conducts research to improve oral-health strategies and policies — translating community-level data into actionable insights for prevention, programme design and policy development.
Infrastructure, Activities & Observance Days
Infrastructure
