|
Kavita Kohli, DDS |
Class Location: All lectures
will be held in A7 from 1:00-3:00 pm. All labs will be held in VC 8-215 |
| Introduction |
| Welcome to the study of Pediatric Dentistry.� The Columbia D.D.S.
candidate spends over one year with our division learning to understand
and manage children in the health care environment and to provide them with
the best possible dental care.
The educational experiences in pediatric dentistry are organized into several phases beginning in the third year. The course "Theory and Practice of Pediatric Dentistry" begins in the winter of the third year.� The course includes two lecture hours per week.� There are ten preclinical laboratory sessions to help students prepare to perform clinical procedures for children.� Students begin Pediatric Clinic in mid-April, and spend one clinical session per week throughout the year.� Fourth year students also spend one session per week in Pediatric Dentistry, from September through February.� The Pediatric Dentistry Area of Concentration� allows students with a special interest in pediatrics to spend time in additional sessions and seminars. The pediatric experience is directed by two philosophical goals: (1) to obtain optimum oral health for the child through the pursuit of excellence in contemporary preventive, interceptive, and restorative concepts, and (2) to create a positive understanding and acceptance of dentistry on the part of the child patient.� The lectures on techniques, materials, growth and development, and behavior management are carefully coordinated with the required, assigned readings. The various sections of this syllabus are designed to serve as a quick reference and outline of clinical procedures and to assist the student in achieving the above goals.� Our faculty strive to provide you with the best possible conditions for learning.� In return we expect you to be prepared for all sessions and to conduct yourself in a professional manner.� In all of our endeavors please feel free to ask questions about both concepts and methods; that is the best means by which we will all learn. There are specific requirements for the laboratory and clinical phases of pediatric dentistry.� It is intended that each student has the opportunity to perform clinically each of the numerous procedures taught in the course.� You may not initially be assigned a comprehensive care patient who requires all phases of treatment, but through reassignment later in the year our goal of varied clinical experience should be met. At this time it bears mention that certain clinical procedures and philosophies may differ slightly between divisions within the same school.� Such expression of differing opinions is presented in the light of the variable nature of human biology and in the pursuit of intellectual honesty.� We hope that all students at this level of education are mature enough to assess these matters for themselves. We wish you a most rewarding experience in Pediatric Dentistry. Nitrous Oxide Competency The Division of Pediatric Dentistry offers a course in the Third Year curriculum entitled "The Theory and Practice of Pediatric Dentistry". After consultation with the course director of "Pain and Anxiety Control" under the division of Oral and Maxillo-facial surgery, a lecture on pediatric nitrous oxide/oxygen conscious sedation was added to the course. The lecture includes the physical and chemical properties of nitrous oxide and it's pharmacology. Effects of Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen on the central nervous system, the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system were discussed. The indications, advantages and disadvantages are presented. Other topics discussed in the lecture are safety issues, abuse potential and equipment operation and maintenance. The course also includes a clinical experience focused on a review of the equipment, safety mechanisms and the technique of administration. Each student demonstrates competence in the technique of administering nitrous oxide to a classmate. |