I. Short term research Work for undergraduate students
Objective:
To know and develop the research skills in undergraduate level to improve confidence in their future research field.
Context:
Research work is to find the answer or to solve the problem which threaten the society and the life of human being. In India the clinical courses like Medical and dental sciences have this research work only from their Post graduate studies. But the students should know the facts and background of research in their BDS level itself. This Short term research program was designed to improve their research and experimental skills and to apply their subject knowledge in various research fields to find the solution to solve the problems.
Practice:
BDS internship students were divided into various group with one Guide and one Co-Guide for their Short term research work. The team should get approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB)to proceed their Short term studies. Progress of each project should be submitted to the research advisory board which is headed by The Pricipal. Finally each team should publish or submit their Short term research in reputed DCI approved journals before their completion of BDS Internship. Evidence
Evidence of Success:
- The team learnt the basics of developing research questions, hypothesis and designing of experiments.
- The students also learnt new experimental techniques and scientific writing skills.
- The onging research work number increased after this Program.
Problems encountered and resources required:
Students faced some financial and time delay problems during their research work.
II.Early Dental Clinical observation for First year BDS
Objective:
To increase awareness about the clinical setup and its function in the First year BDS level itself.
Context:
The clinical departments should give basic orientation classes in their department to motivate the students to get interest in clinical subjects.
Practice:
The First Year BDS students Time table was prepared with all clinical Departments. The concern department faculties should take the students to their clinical labs and make them to observe the setup and function of each part of their clinical department.
Evidence of Success:
- First BDS students eagerly attended all orientation classes with live observations.
- The feedbacks were collected from each students.
Problems encountered and resources required:
The students are not allowed to observe some clinical procedures.
III. Literacy to illiterate
Objectives of the Practice:
- To create and increase awareness about education among maintenance workers.
- To teach them to read and write their names, basic words in Tamil and English.
The Context:
Many illiterate maintenance workers working in our institution do not know how to read or write their names. Many of them are females above 40 years of age. Hence, this program was designed to help them read and write basic words in Tamil and English. The "Women empowerment cell" conducts this program periodically in a scheduled manner.
The Practice:
The primary goal of this program is to make illiterate workers read and write in both Tamil and English languages. The classes were scheduled without disturbing their regular college duties upon getting permission. The writing materials such as slate and slate pencils were also provided to the workers for their regular uses. The alphabets and words, such as their names, college names and name board of the buses, were taught to read and write.
Evidence of Success:
- The program's success was evident in its writing their names and places in Tamil and English
Problems encountered and resources required:
Students faced some financial and time delay problems during their research work.
- They think the class duration is short and less frequent.
- Few of the workers shows lack of interest due to their age and routine duties.
IV. Tobacco Cessation clinic.
Objectives of the Practice:
- Recognise the various patterns biology and epidemiology in our area.
- To increase awareness and intention to quit among users.
- Consequences of tobacco use and health benefits of Cessation is to be emphasized.
- Protection from second-hand smoke.
The Context:
- We need a combination of strategies aimed at avoiding initiation of tobacco by the non-users and cessation of tobacco among current users.
- If all the doctors in the health system offer a quit advice to all the tobacco users a large number of patients to quit tobacco.
- The consultation time can be effectively used by doctors as an opportunity to promote patients to quit tobacco when they are motivated to listen.
- Among the districts of Tamil Nadu Tirunelveli, Tirupur, Pudukottai, and Cuddalore rank the first in tobacco usage according to Tamil Nadu tobacco survey.
- Our college is located in the Tirunelveli district and there were no tobacco Caessation clinics in the entire south Tamil Nadu. Hence we have established the Tobacco Cessation clinic in the Rajas dental college.
The Practice:
- With our observance, with our outpatients, 20-30% were using tobacco in some form or other.
- With this in mind, two separate programs were started to identify the real need among the surrounding villages.
- NSS and department of community dentistry jointly organize school camps to create awareness among students who will be in a better position to inculcate the message and transform to their family members.
- Among the predominant users, we found a large number of fisherman and the family members of beedi rollers.
- Hence an initiative was taken to target these group of people by organising oral oncology camps in fisherman village.
Evidence of Success:
As our college is in a rural setup first awareness had to be created among the public regarding the menace of tobacco. Awareness was created by conducting specific oral oncology camps targeted on the fishing community where the practice was found to be very high. Regular counseling and collaborative camps with Nellai cancer centre are being done to address the issue. Nearly fifty percent of patients have acknowledged their habits and want to lead a happy life.
Problems encountered and resources required:
Tobacco as a menace cannot be handled by a single institution alone it should be a unified collaborative effort. More personnel should be trained in their sphere of work. Other than technical staff, doctors should be trained for tobacco Cessation on a larger scale.
V. Yoga Training
Objectives of the Practice:
- Mainly aimed towards attaining health benefits.
- To create and increase self awareness & to promote self healing.
- To reduce stress and tension during work hours and to calm the mind
The Context:
Grade IX staff working in our institution are mostly females who are above 40 years of age. These staff are held up with various health problems Hence, this yoga program was designed to improve their body health by promoting the balance between physical, mental and spiritual spirits. The "Women empowerment cell" conducts this program periodically in a scheduled manner.
The Practice:
The primary goal of this program is to incorporate the meditation and breathing exercises that helps in improving a person’s mental and body health. The classes were scheduled without disturbing their regular college duties upon getting permission. The yoga materials such as yoga mat, meditation pillow were also provided to the workers for their regular uses. They were taught some simple asanas for their routine yoga practice.
Evidence of Success:
- Reduction of weight, chronic pain.
- Lowered stress levels.
- Lowered blood pressure & blood sugar.
- Improved respiration.
- Regulation of sleep.
The program's success were evident as these health benefits are achieved in some of the Grade IX staff.
Problems encountered and resources required:
- Few of the workers show lack of interest due to their age and routine duties.
- Few other staff members are down with fatigue, over weight, sprains etc.
VI. Best Practices in Digital Dentistry
The Context:
Digital dentistry represents a transformative shift in dental care, integrating advanced technologies to improve precision, efficiency, and patient outcomes. As patient expectations rise and technology advances, adopting best practices ensures streamlined workflows and high-quality treatments.
Objectives:
- To enhance diagnostic accuracy through advanced imaging and 3D scanning.
- To improve patient experience with faster, minimally invasive procedures.
- To optimize treatment workflows using CAD/CAM, digital planning, and guided surgeries.
- To ensure predictable results in orthodontics, prosthodontics, and implantology.
- To facilitate continuous learning and skill development among dental practitioners.
Practice:
Adopting digital tools like intraoral scanners, CBCT imaging, 3D printers, and software for orthodontic aligner planning, implant surgical guides, and smile design. Emphasis is placed on seamless integration of these technologies into daily clinical workflows.
Evidence of the Practice:
-
Digital Implantology:
Case studies show a 95% accuracy rate in implant placement using guided surgery software. -
CAD/CAM in Prosthodontics:
Reduced chairside time by 50% compared to conventional methods. -
Smile Design:
Enhanced patient satisfaction with pre-visualized treatment outcomes.
Problems Encountered:
- Initial cost of equipment and software.
- Steep learning curve for practitioners transitioning from traditional methods.
- Maintenance and updates of digital systems.
Resources Required:
- High-quality intraoral scanners and CBCT machines.
- Advanced software for treatment planning and execution (e.g., aligner planning, implant guides, smile design).
- Skilled personnel trained in digital workflows.
- Financial support for technology acquisition and training programs.
Conclusion:
Implementing these best practices ensures the integration of evidence-based digital workflows into clinical practice, promoting superior patient care and setting benchmarks for the dental industry.