KARACHI: Students at Bahria University Dental College (BUDC) set an action plan in motion through their research and oral health education strategies for the especially abled population through BUDC's Community Support Program (CSP)
The Department of Community & Preventive Dentistry works towards prevention rather than treatment of disease. To accomplish this goal department has combined students’ research, community support program (CSP) visits, health education plan development and implementation as a part of BDS 2nd year students’ curricular activity. All BDS students in 2nd year prepare research proposal and on the basis of analysis, a health education plan was developed and implemented.
To achieve this goal students were divided in six groups with a target population of hearing, visually impaired and geriatrics linked with dental caries and periodontal disease. Each group worked as a team for the same task by undertaking a few steps to complete the task. The first step was group formation & allocation of the target population and dental disease, secondly formation of research question, data collection and analysis, lastly development and implementation of health education plan.
Every year target population varies to cater variety of individuals, this year target population was especially abled which includes hearing and visually impaired and elderly people due to communication and access to dental care barriers as compare to normal population. In consideration with target population and dental diseases students prepared research proposal, collected data, performed analysis and on the basis of the results,a health education plan was developed by using appropriate oral health education methods. This year students have prepared a video for the hearing impaired, an audio story and poem for the visually impaired to teach them oral hygiene maintenance methods. They have also prepared different props to communicate with the individuals of a particular population.
The Department of Community & Preventive Dentistry, BUDC shared their all research and health education plan implementation activity by arranging a two hour session on 2nd November 2022. The session was arranged in the Video Link Conference room in the esteemed presence of Director General, BUDC, Vice Admiral (R) Khalid Amin HI (M), Dean Faculty of Health Sciences Prof Dr Ambreen Usmani, Principal Dental College, Prof Dr Wahab Buksh Kadri, Director Campus Bahria University, Capt Nauman, Head of Department of Community Health Sciences, Dr Inayat Hussain Thawar, Principal and vice principal nursing, Heads of Dental Departments, faculty and students.
The session began with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by the welcome address of Prof Dr Kulsoom Fatima Rizvi. After sharing a brief overview of students’ research activity students presented their research plan and its implementation. Presenters from all six groups shared their prepared videos and audio also with the audience. The Director General, BUDC, Dean Faculty of Health Science and Principal of Dental College presented certificates to all six groups and faculty. He appreciated the immense efforts of the students and faculty of Department of Community & Preventive Dentistry, BUDC for arranging a students’ research activity and providing insight to health education plan implantation conducted by students.
