About the Department

Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry is concerned with excellence in dental care for children from infancy to adolescence. Pediatric dentistry encompasses a variety of disciplines, techniques, procedures, and skills that are unique based on the requirements of infants, children and adolescents. The clinical expertise of this department also extends for the children requiring special health care needs. This specialty is enriched with the skills required to be applied to the needs of children throughout their ever-changing stages of development and to treating conditions and diseases unique to growing individuals.

With emphasis on prevention of oral diseases in children, the specialists provide proactive counseling to the parents regarding prevention that goes beyond caries to address all aspects of children's oral health.

Academic Responsibilities

The department aims towards training the undergraduates to understand and apply the knowledge of pathophysiology of disease process and its effect on physical and psychological growth and development of the child. It equips the undergraduates with the competency to effectively and efficiently diagnose, treat and prevent the dental diseases in children.

Full time dedicated faculty of the department are determined towards creating skilled post graduates who are focused in adopting ethical principles in all aspects of pediatric dental practice. Motivated to be excellent researchers they are provided with the facilities required for creating and implementing newer methods and techniques in the effective management of child patient thereby widening the scope of pediatric dentistry. The post graduates are also equipped with the ability to provide treatment for the children with special health care needs and recognize and manage medical emergencies in pediatric dental practice.

The department also provides further scope of the young researchers to pursue the interests in the research involving children by providing courses such as PhD in the Faculty of Dentistry, thereby creating passionate researchers with potent research background.

Center of Activity

"Center for Advanced Care of Dental Trauma in Children" is a highly fortified center situated in the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, JSS Dental College and Hospital, Mysuru. The Center is equipped to provide comprehensive emergency dental trauma care services to children suffering dental traumatic injuries. It provides an in-house multi-specialty team of doctors; advanced equipment and facilities for Emergency and Long-term Management of Dental Injuries in child patients, 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

The goal of this expert trauma center is to provide treatment to a child within 30 minutes (Platinum Hour). It has robust and reliable communication facilities ensuring dynamic trauma care delivery without delay. “The Trauma Team follows the world renowned International Association of Dental Traumatology Guidelines for the Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries. It is well-equipped with latest technologies and a personnel task force to provide seamless access to care.

Managing traumatic injuries in immature teeth is extremely challenging due to compromised crown root ratio, thin root dentine walls and wide-open apex lacking an apical stop against which root filling materials can be condensed. However this center makes every possible effort to preserve the immature permanent tooth to ensure continued root development by regenerative endodontic treatment as we believe that the immature permanent tooth has considerable capacity for healing after traumatic pulp exposure, luxation injury, or root fracture.Out center also provides post-trauma rehabilitation facility for ensuring complete aesthetic and functional restoration. It also provides services like prevention and management of athletics-related oro-facial injuries (sports dentistry).

Revamping of the Teaching Skills

The preceptors of the department are continuously enriching their skills which are necessary to engage the scholarly activities. They are involved in development of professional activities, designing and development of curriculum and creating eminent scholars, clinicians, leaders and efficient administrators for the future.

Research Background

The department has been actively involved in research since its inception. It has been funded by various government funding agency such as Department of Science and Technology (DST), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and VGST (Vision Group of Science and Technology) which has helped in development of the departmental infrastructure. Colgate Palmolive also has been actively conducting various clinical trials in association with the department.

Outreach Programs

The department has been successful in providing health care facilities to the community with the help unique outreach programs such as Baby Oral health Promotion clinic and JSS SMILE. Baby oral health clinic is dedicatedly associated with the prevention of oral diseases in the children. Effective age specific counseling to the parents provides them with the knowledge of prevention of the oral diseases.

JSS SMILE is concerned with the rehabilitation of the infants affected with cleft lip and palate. This nonprofit multidisciplinary outreach program provides community services for the children affected with cleft lip and palate in the form of counseling, presurgical care, surgical care, speech therapy, follow up of growth and development, correction of malocclusion and providing prosthodontic rehabilitations. Under JSS SMILE, in association with the ICMR, the department has created a facility for the mothers of cleft lip and palate affected infants – ASSISTED BREAST FEEDING CENTER. This centre works towards promoting breastfeeding for the affected infants for favorable growth and development.

The department has also been providing nonprofit based dental services to special children of Sai Ranga School of Speech and Hearing impaired since 1989. All the children of Suttur Residential School also receive preventive and therapeutic services.

Specialized Equipment of the Department

Quantitative Light Induced Fluorescence - Biluminator 2
Fluoride Ion analyzer
pH meter

Computer Controlled Local anesthesia delivery device (WAND)
Conscious sedation unit
Air abrasion unit

Biostar
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
Pulse oximeter

Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry