KIMS | Pediatric and preventive dentistry

Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch of dentistry aimed towards the comprehensive management of children with dental problems. Prevention and education are the key ways of promoting oral health collectively. Our goal is to produce a caries free generation. We intend to give every child an opportunity to maintain good oral health throughout life by timely counselling and tailored preventive programs. In the course of the same, we intend to set a foreground for the early identification of risk factors, evaluation of oral development, fluoride therapy , management of oral habits, prevention of oral injuries and modification of dietary and oral hygiene practices, dental care for the special children and initiating timely dental intervention.

The Department of Pediatric and Preventive dentistry was started in the year 2014 with an intake of 100 students per year for BDS course. The department trains undergraduate students for the fulfilment of the course in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).

The Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry at KIMS Dental College and Hospital, Amalapuram is an imperial centre for quality oral health care delivery to children and adolescents with a yearly footfall of more than 7,000 patients. “KIMS Pedo”, as it is fondly called, strongly believes and functions on effective teamwork. It has its own motto and is also proud of its own logo. Children’s play area, attractive pediatric dental chairs, tooth-brushing station and attractive TV screens is all set to make the child’s dental visit pleasant and memorable.

Teaching and learning have been given prime importance in this department. Undergraduate (UG) students come in direct contact with the child patients under the supervision of faculty, giving them hands-on clinical experience and a good insight on how to manage them efficiently in the clinics. KIMS Pedo focuses on clinical patient care.

Undergraduate department

The undergraduate training of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry begins from third year BDS onwards, wherein extensive preclinical training if delivered in a state of art environment, to develop their skills of Pediatric operative dentistry before they face a clinical situation.

It is designed to enable the qualifying dental surgeon to diagnose, assess and treat common dental problems by preventive and therapeutic approaches.

This program provides an in-depth knowledge about the milestones of general growth and development, complete orofacial and dental growth and development of a child from birth to adolescence, prevention, diagnosis, interception and comprehensive management of all oral and dental problems in children.
Clinical practice is limited to preventive and restorative procedures in primary and permanent teeth for caries management.
The undergraduate training programme commences in the 3rd year with lectures and preclinical exercises, and tooth identification exercises and continues to clinical pediatric dentistry in fourth year.
Periodic discussion and internal assessment tests are conducted regularly to assess the students.
University examination in the subject is conducted at the end of fourth year following fulfilment of attendance, tutorials and clinical assignment.
Periodic discussions through flip charts, 3D models, posters, and problem based learning. Special remedial classes are conducted for underperforming students. Students are instructed to perform hand scaling, topical fluoride application, and conservative cavity preparation and restorations.
Students are encouraged to participate in under graduate conferences, various academic and cultural activities.

Treatments done:

Preventive Procedures

Infant Oral Health
Diet Counselling
Caries Risk Assessment in Children
Oral Prophylaxis (Cleaning of teeth)
Fluoride applications
Pit & Fissure Sealants

Restorative procedures

Tooth colored restorations – GIC and Composite Aesthetic
restoration of fractured or decayed anterior teeth using Indirect Composite resins and Strip Crowns
Stainless steel crowns
Polycarbonate crowns
Oral Rehabilitation for Early childhood caries

Endodontic procedures

Direct and Indirect Pulp capping Pulpotomy, Pulpectomy & Root Canal treatments
Apexification, Apexogenesis and Revasularization
Management of all types of traumatic injuries to teeth

Orthodontic Procedures

Space maintainers
Minor Orthodontic corrections
Habit breaking appliances

Surgical procedures

Extractions
Minor oral Surgical procedures

Treatment under Conscious Sedation and General Anesthesia Diode LASER application in soft tissue oral surgery and Endodontics Laser treatment Management of Children with special health care needs (Mental retardation, medically compromised, Cleft lip and palate etc.)