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- Category: Dental Health Services
- Published: 10 July 2016
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Oral Health Programmes
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Programme at the University of Guyana
This five (5) year training programme which commenced in September, 2006 is conducted at the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre and is subsidised by the Ministry of Public Health. Between the period of 2011 – 2015, the programme has graduated 28 Dental Surgeons. The present enrollment for the programme stands at 58 students.
Eleven (11) BDS graduates are now working in the Dental Health Services of the Ministry of Public Health and three (3) new graduates applied to join the Public System.
The Dental Auxiliary Training Program (DATP)
The Dental Auxiliary Training Program has trained more than 200 Dental Nurses (now called DENTEX, and CDT {Dental Extender and Community Dental Therapist respectively}). Presently, the DATP is training a batch of 22 DENTEX who started the programme in November, 2014 and will complete training in 2016. DENTEX and CDT’s are trained particularly to impart Oral Health Education to school children, as well as to examine and treat simple cases with restorations, prophylaxis, sealants, and take Periapical X-rays. They work under the supervision of a Dental Surgeon, except in remote hinterland locations where there are no Dentists.
School Oral Health Programme
The School oral Health programme was launched in 1999 and provides Oral Health Education, brushing demonstrations, curative and preventive services (fillings, prophylaxis, fluoride treatment, sealants, etc.) to Nursery, Primary and selected Secondary Schools in all regions. Over the years, approximately 50,000 school children have benefited annually from school Oral
This programme is supported by Colgate Palmolive Limited in the form of a stipend for the Dentists and Dental Auxiliary personnel who visit schools, and also by samples of Toothpaste and Toothbrushes, which are distributed to all school children. The most active regions are Georgetown, Regions 3, 4, and 6. In other areas, this programme is being implemented only partially, due to constraints.
