Department of Conservative Dentistry
Though pain of an odontogenic origin has plagued mankind since the dawn of civilization, it is only in the past century that the palliative and curative aspects of this subject have assumed the status of being a science on its own. Of the several ramifications of Stomatology, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics deals with treating and restoring defects of teeth (be it decay, disfigurement, discoloration or the like) to result in proper tooth form, function and aesthetics.
Established in the year 1999 with undergraduate wing, from an era where one had only a handful of chairs to work on and a limited number of faculty, the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics has evolved into a vibrant and dynamic unit today with Postgraduate wing in 2011, keeping abreast with changes in dentistry on an international scale. Today, it is spread over undergraduate clinical wing, post graduate clinical wing and the preclinical wing, all situated at the College of Dental Surgery block. College enrolls 50 undergraduate students each year with two postgraduate in our department.
Infrastructure
Seminar Room, Library and Laboratory: The department also has a seminar room where presentations are delivered and academic discussions conducted. A small departmental library is adequately stocked with textbooks, which can be referred to by everybody. A well- equipped dental laboratory aids in fabricating indirect restorations for patients as a central lab under Department of Prosthodontics. Pre-clinical Section: The pre-clinical section has a unique clinical simulation lab equipped with 40 phantom heads. Training in the second year of under graduation involves activities to be performed on teeth mounted on these phantom heads before they actually enter clinics and start working on patients in the subsequent year.
Other Features
• In terms of equipment, the use of electrically operated chairs and high-speed hand pieces was instituted from the very beginning. • The residents make use of a radiography unit placed in the department premises. • Making inroads in the utilization of cutting technology, the department now offers digital radiographic analysis to its patients which in turn allows the clinician a great deal of flexibility with the image and also saving a great deal of time. • An intra oral camera is extensively used for photographic imaging. • Use of Class B sterilizer is emphasized, a step towards better infection control. • Treatment of patients starts with an effective diagnosis. The clinical skills of the operator are augured by several electronic devices like pulp testers and fiber optic illumination. • Light cure composite kits are regularly used in keeping with the spirit of propagating aesthetic dentistry to the common man at very affordable prices. • For enhanced patient and operator safety, the use of rubber dam kits is emphasized upon. • A kit for bleaching of discolored teeth. • Rotary endodontic instruments. • An electronic apex locator, namely the Ipex, ProApex system with Rotary endodontic instruments. • Thermoplasticised materials for root canal fillings, Calamus System effectively to be in use by this session. • In view of current development in Endodontics and to keep abreast, College will be procuring Dental Operating Microscope soon.
Patient care
On an average, the department handles 40-50 patients per day, of which the third and final years manage approximately a third. What are the treatment options that are offered to the patients? Well, a host of them, ranging from the very basic amalgam to the latest in tooth colored restorations.
For patients in need of endodontic therapy, root canal treatment is performed and endodontic surgeries where applicable. Aesthetic Dentistry is very much in vogue with the cosmopolitan and increasingly looks-conscious population. With an ever-increasing demand for this sub-specialty, newer materials and techniques are adopted to upgrade those already in use, thereby furthering the philosophy of fusing the ‘art’ component with that of the ‘science’.
The ethos and the driving force for each member of the department, “Spreading Smiles across the Miles”, reflects the essence of what our institution stands for. The vast patient base for the department is from Sankhuwasabha, Sunsari, Morang and other neighboring districts and even abroad. Keeping in perspective the increasing cost of dentistry for the underprivileged, the department tries to provide free treatment.
Undergraduate
A student in the sophomore year is introduced to the subject through didactic teaching as well as practical training to simulate clinical procedures on phantom heads. In the senior year, the clinical skills of the student are enhanced by personal guidance of the student’s work, not only on a day-to-day basis, but on a step-by step approach while performing a particular clinical procedure. Further, the student is encouraged to involve himself in discussions with the teacher-in-charge. New skills are imparted through chair-side demonstrations and asking the student to emulate the same principles in his clinical practice. In the final year, complex restorative procedures and an introduction to clinical endodontic practice form the foundation for the clinical training. Didactic teaching continues during both the fourth and final years of the bachelor’s course. Besides a formal subjective system for evaluation in the form of terminal and professional examinations, informal objective question based exercises and self learning modules are also encouraged so that the student can try and discover newer aspects of the subject without any anxiety.
Post Graduate
Spread over three years, the master’s course aims not only to guide the student in the methodology of research, but at the same time orient him to the current state of knowledge in the specialty with its lacunae. The care of patients is an equally important goal and the post graduate student is given ample clinical exposure to hone his skills.
Laboratory work is also an area of emphasis, especially with respect to ceramics. Besides these, the academic schedule is designed to include seminars, journal club presentations, case presentations and a dissertation. All the residents are required to update themselves through continuing education program and through an active participation at national conferences and conventions.
A post graduate student is also entrusted with the responsibility of supervising both the pre-clinical and clinical divisions of the under graduate students. A formal evaluation system ensues at the end of midsession and three year sessions that includes theoretical as well as clinical examinations.
Email (HOD): [email protected]
Phone : 025-525555 Ext. 9
Fax : 025 - 520251