9. Intensive Dental Health Care Programme

         A survey conducted by the Health Department during the year 1989-90 revealed that nearly 84.4 % of the State's population was suffering from one or the other Dental diseases. It was noticed that this alarming rise in the Dental diseases was mainly due to the lack of awareness among the people about the prophylactic, interceptive and curative treatment available in the existing infrastructure of the Dental Health Care Services in the State. It was also noticed that the Dental Surgeon population ratio was   1: 30000 in the urban areas. But only the ratio in the rural areas is 1:1.19 lacs

To provide the best of the Dental Health Care Services to the people of the State, the Punjab Govt. has launched INTENSIVE DENTAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMME for school children, school teachers and general public, which is first of its kind in the country. To reach the far-flung areas of each district one mobile Dental Clinic Van was provided to give interceptive  and curative treatment to the people at their doorstep. To monitor and implement all the dental programmes it was proposed to establish a post of District Dental Health Officer for all the districts of the State.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE:

i)          To bring down the incidence of oral and dental diseases to less than 40 %. 

ii)         To bring down the Decayed Missed Filled Teeth (D.M.F.T.) in School children of 6 – 12 years less than two. 

iii)       To achieve 25 % reduction in number of persons without teeth after the age of 60 Years. 

iv)       To provide one dental clinic to serve the population of 30,000 in the rural areas by opening 354 new Dental Clinics by the end of five years plan. 

v)        To provide total oral health coverage to all the school going children in the age group of 6 - 12 years. 

vi)       To provide Dental Health Education Training to all the primary school teachers, medical & paramedical personnel.

 vii)      To organize special Dental Health Fortnights. 

viii)      To provide on the spot diagnostic preventive interceptive & curative Dental Health Care Services to the people in the far – flung rural areas of the state and the school children through fully equipped Mobile Dental Clinic Vans.

INTENSIVE DENTAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMME:-

Punjab is the only state in India which has launched Intensive Dental Health Care Programme in the year 1989-90. Under this Programme one sub-division is selected and the schools are covered block – wise. After covering the whole Sub-division the next Sub-division is taken up. At present three Medical Officers (School Health Clinic-I, Intensive Dental Health Care Programme-I &P.H.C. Medical Officers (Dental) – I) visits the schools as per the detailed programmes circulated to them. The Special feature of this Programme is that in addition to the imparting of Dental Health Education training to the School children & detailed Oral Health check up, each child is given a mouth rinses with the freshly prepared 2 % solution of sodium fluoride to arrest the initiation & progress of dental caries and this process is repeated after every six months. The children suffering from Dental Diseases are provided necessary Dental treatment on the Mobile Dental Clinic Vans.

A)    For school Children:

 Targets and achievements are as under:  

B)    Imparting of Dental Health Education to School Teachers, Medical and Paramedical Personnel: 

    One day dental health education training workshop/camps are being held for primary school teacher, Medical and Paramedical Personnel so as to update their knowledge about commonly prevailing Dental diseases among the School children and their preventive measures to be taken.

C)    Organization of Dental Health Fortnights:

In order to create awareness about oral and Dental Diseases and to provide curative services special Dental Health Fortnights & Mass Dental Camps are being organized. The special feature of this Programme is that poor and old patients have been provided with full sets of artificial dentures free of cost. The 16^th Dental Health Fortnight was organized all over the state from 15^th Nov to 30^th Nov, 2007.

 Targets and Achievements: 

Mobile Dental Clinic Van:         

Since the incidence of Dental Diseases is very high amongst the school children particularly in rural areas curative Dental Health Care Services and effective Prophylaxis against Dental Caries can only be provided on the Dental Chair. So, it was decided to establish seventeen Mobile Dental Clinics in the State (one for each District) so as to provide curative and prophylactic Dental Health Care Services in the far-flung rural areas of the State and also to provide effective prophylaxis against Dental Caries to the children in the Schools.

No. of Patients examined by the Mobile Dental Van during the year 2005-06 to 2007-08 are as under