KARACHI: Early oral-health awareness can help children develop habits that protect their teeth and gums, but knowing how to brush properly and why preventive dental care matters is not always a given. An outreach initiative by Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine (AIDM) brought dental screening and oral-health education directly to schoolchildren at Army Public School, Malir Cantt, on October 7, 2026, while also providing career counselling.
Organised by the Department of Community Dentistry at AIDM, the programme combined oral-health screening, practical guidance on daily dental hygiene and experiential learning for second-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students.
The initiative formed part of the department’s ongoing efforts to promote preventive dental care among children and strengthen students’ understanding of community-based oral healthcare.
Dental screening brings preventive care into the school setting
Under faculty supervision, oral-health screenings and dental examinations were conducted as part of the outreach activity.
The exercise gave participating second-year BDS students an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in a real-world school setting. Faculty members guided them throughout the screening process, helping them develop their clinical screening and communication skills while gaining practical exposure to community dentistry.
Taking dental education beyond the classroom also offered students an opportunity to understand how oral healthcare can be delivered in community settings, where early awareness and accessible preventive guidance are important components of oral-health promotion.
Children receive practical oral-hygiene guidance
Following the screenings, the team held an interactive oral-health education session for the schoolchildren.
The session covered proper tooth-brushing techniques, regular oral-hygiene practices and the importance of preventive dental care. Children were encouraged to participate, helping reinforce the importance of developing healthy habits from an early age.
By pairing dental examinations with practical education, the outreach addressed both the assessment of children’s oral health and the everyday practices that can help them maintain it.
The programme also included career counselling, extending the activity beyond oral-health awareness to provide schoolchildren with guidance on career-related choices. Further details about the counselling activities were not provided.
AIDM faculty and students lead community initiative
The programme was organised under the supervision of Dr Amir Akbar Shaikh, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Community Dentistry at AIDM.
Demonstrators Dr Nikita Bodani, Dr Danial Ahmed, Dr Fatima Jaffri and Dr Zain Jabbar participated in the activity, supporting the programme alongside second-year BDS students.
Their involvement helped provide faculty guidance during the screenings and educational activities, while giving students practical exposure to school-based oral healthcare.
Strengthening dental education through community engagement
The outreach highlighted the complementary roles of preventive oral-health education and practical clinical learning. For schoolchildren, the programme reinforced the importance of brushing correctly, maintaining regular oral-hygiene practices and understanding the value of preventive dental care. For participating students, it provided an opportunity to build screening and communication skills under professional supervision.
Through initiatives of this kind, the Department of Community Dentistry at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine continues to combine experiential learning with efforts to promote oral-health awareness and preventive care in the community.
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