Community Oral Health

Program Description: 

Community Oral Health was considered as a dental specialty in 1951 and has been established in many of accredited universities around the world for 30 years. Based on the community oral health basics, developed countries especially in Scandinavia, have achieved a great deal of improvements in controlling oral diseases and oral health promotion in their communities. 

According to the latest revision of curriculum of Dentistry in Iran in 2000, it was approved that community oral health departments should be established in every School of Dentistry. The first PhD joint educational program in community oral health was initiated with the cooperation of World Health Organization (WHO) and Helsinki University, in School of Dentistry of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2003 to provide university instructors for the above mentioned departments. 

Some efforts were made in some Schools of Dentistry all over the country to set up a M.Sc. program in Community oral health; however, Tehran University of Medical Sciences is the pioneer in this regard and succeeded in program establishment and acceptance of trainees.  

  Definition

Community Oral Health (COH) is concerned with the oral health of a population rather than individuals and has been defined as the science and art of preventing oral diseases, promoting oral health and improving the quality of life through the organized efforts of society. The discipline covers a wide range and includes such topics as prevention, management, policy making, planning, implementation and evaluation of dental services in the community. Successful completion of the course leads to a specialty or M.Sc. (Master of Science) degree.

 Objectives:

The aim of this educational program is to train dentists with M.Sc. degree in community oral health that are at world standard level in their knowledge, attitude and scientific competencies and can provide high quality educational and research activities and also play an active role in oral health policy making.

General Competencies

• Communicative competencies: Building a network and developing and maintaining trustful and inspiring relationship with patients and colleagues.
• Helping decision makers and patients to make informed decisions.
• Looking for the different contributions from other disciplines and working with peers and colleagues from other departments and cross-organization. 
• Writing and reporting: 
• Write in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner 
• Critical thinking: Identifies rules or principles that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions. 
• Problem solving
• Professionalism

Specific Competencies and Skills (Special Qualifications)

1. Research skills to perform Oral health surveillances
2. Assessing the evidence on oral health and dental interventions, programs and services
3. Policy and strategy development and implementation
4. Strategic leadership and collaborative work for Oral health improvement
5. To protect populations of oral health hazards
6. Developing and monitoring quality dental services
7. Educating Dental Public Health  
8. Appropriate decision-making and judgment
9. Appropriate attitudes, ethical understanding and legal responsibilities