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Community Dentistry

 

Public Health dentistry is one of nine specialties in dentistry in Israel.

This field focuses on deepening the understanding of the biological, social, emotional, behavioral, environmental, cultural and economic aspects of health and illness, using epidemiological tools and data.

Department of Community Dental Medicine

The Department of Community Dentistry is involved in leading the significant changes that have been taking place in the field of oral and dental health in recent years, with the inclusion of dental care in Israel’s national health services. These changes led to an increase in the public interest in oral health and the design of new methods for the provision of dental care to all. The department leads the implementation of quality control in the field of dentistry in Israel, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and leading dental organizations.

The Department of Community Dentistry is involved in national activities in Israel that promote oral health. The department’s staff assists in the planning of services and programs for the government, including the Ministries of Health, Education and Welfare, municipalities, public clinics, insurance companies, the Israeli Dental Association etc. The Department conducts research in cooperation with the School of Public Health of the Hebrew University and Hadassah, as well as various competitive studies and in cooperation with commercial companies.

Public Health dentistry is the part of a dentistry which has expertise in population-based dentistry, oral health monitoring, policy development, community disease prevention and health promotion, and is the dental health safety net.

 

Practice Areas

  • Teaching and research
  • Management of Dental Assistance course of the Faculty of Dental Medicine
  • Management of the Dental Hygiene studies of the Faculty of Dental Medicine
  • Management of various courses that prepare students at the School of Dental Medicine for research, entrepreneurship and community outreach
  • Conducting studies in cooperation with international researchers
  • A specialization program in public dentistry
  • Management of community programs aimed at promoting oral and dental health and disease prevention 

The main research areas of the department include

  • Epidemiology of head-neck disease (caries, periodontology, cancer, dental injuries, erosion, etc.) and related variables
  • The psycho-social components of oral health
  • Dental geriatrics
  • Dental Health Economics
  • Quality of life associated with oral health
  • Clinical trials of new prevention methods (toothbrushes, toothpastes, etc.)
  • Water Fluoridation
  • Dental Manpower
  •  Financing of dental services - insurances, sick funds etc.
  •  Quality indices in dentistry

Department Vision

Promoting Oral and Dental Health in the State of Israel, with emphasis on primary prevention services, health education and promotion of dental health in the community. To encourage health education, starting with the academic learning stage of dental students, dental hygienists and dental assistants at the Hadassah Dental School and later on during the dental career, and to establish knowledge and skills in this field to the faculty members. The department strives to promote quality of dental care.

Dental assistant course

  • The Dental assistant course of the Community Dental Medicine Department is one of the few courses in Israel recognized by the Ministry of Health and under its supervision.
  • The course curriculum enables integration into the field of dentistry during course studies.
  • Our top lecturers pay personal attention to each and every student.
  • The course includes an emphasis on excellence and preparation for the government test.
  • Graduates of the course are integrated into specialist clinics, hospitals, private clinics and health fund clinics

Dental hygienic studies/course

  • the first  and most senior study course in Israel
  • The course covers all the necessary theoretical subjects, as well as the clinical skills required . 
  • The students receive individual training and professional guidance in clinics at Hadassah by a leading teaching staff of senior dental hygienists.
  • Emphasis is placed on the potential community roles of the hygienist in general, and her role in preventive dentistry and   health promotion .
  • The students participate in community projects of the department, in conjunction with the doctors' team, and are an integral part of the community programs in the department.