RAWALPINDI: Dental students from four institutions came together to showcase their creativity, academic knowledge and understanding of community dentistry at the Intercollegiate Poster Competition 2026, organised by the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry at Watim Dental College.
The competition brought together enthusiastic BDS students from Watim Dental College, HBS Dental College, Margalla Institute of Health Sciences and Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, providing them with a platform to present creative and informative posters on a range of topics related to preventive and community dentistry.
The event was designed not only as an academic competition but also as an opportunity for dental students to communicate important community oral health concepts through visual presentation, teamwork and evidence-based educational content.
Four dental institutions compete in community dentistry showcase
Students representing the participating dental institutions prepared posters addressing diverse issues relevant to community dentistry and public oral health.
The presentations covered topics ranging from infection prevention and occupational hazards to community water fluoridation, oral cancer and prevention of parafunctional habits.
The quality and presentation of the entries made the judging process highly competitive, according to the organisers, with participating students demonstrating their ability to translate academic concepts into engaging and informative poster presentations.
The competition also provided an opportunity for students at different stages of BDS education to engage with community dentistry beyond conventional classroom learning.
‘Break the Chain of Infection’ secures first position
The top position was secured by a team of first-year BDS students from Watim Medical and Dental College for their poster titled “Break the Chain of Infection.”
The winning team comprised Dua Ali, Fatima Javed, Huda Raja, Khoula Farooqi, Ayesha Rehman Alam, Ibrahim Bajwa and M. Arifeen Nasir.
The entry was prepared under the supervision of Dr. Syeda Nadia Firdous, Head of the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Watim Dental College.
The winning team received a cash prize of PKR 20,000.
The topic placed infection prevention and control at the centre of the students’ community dentistry presentation, reflecting the broader role of preventive approaches in protecting public health.
Second position focuses on occupational hazards and fluoridation
Second-year BDS students from Watim Dental College secured the second position with the topics “Occupational Hazards” and “Community Water Fluoridation.”
The organisers awarded a cash prize of PKR 8,000 for each of the recognised entries.
The topics addressed two distinct areas of community dentistry, linking occupational health considerations with one of the major population-level approaches to preventing dental caries through appropriate fluoride exposure.
HBS and Watim students share third position
The third position was shared by entries from HBS Dental College and Watim Dental College.
The recognised topics were “Bitter Sweet Smile” and “Oral Cancer,” with each receiving a cash prize of PKR 6,000.
The inclusion of oral cancer among the competition themes brought a significant public-health dimension to the event, while “Bitter Sweet Smile” provided another perspective within the students’ community dentistry presentations.
Watim students take fourth position
The fourth position was awarded to Watim Dental College for a poster on “Parafunctional Habits and Its Prevention.”
The entry received a cash prize of PKR 5,000.
The topic focused on parafunctional habits and their prevention, highlighting the importance of recognising potentially harmful oral behaviours and addressing them through preventive dental education.
Competition highlights student learning beyond the classroom
The Intercollegiate Poster Competition 2026 provided participating BDS students with an opportunity to demonstrate more than their knowledge of community dentistry.
Through the preparation and presentation of their posters, students were able to apply academic knowledge, creativity, teamwork and communication skills to dental and public-health topics.
The organisers said the quality and presentation of the posters made the judging process highly competitive, reflecting the level of effort invested by participating students and institutions.
Such activities can complement formal dental education by encouraging students to communicate health information clearly, examine preventive concepts from a community perspective and engage with issues that extend beyond individual patient care.
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry leads initiative
The competition was organised by the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Watim Dental College, under the leadership of Dr. Syeda Nadia Firdous, HOD Preventive and Community Dentistry, Watim Dental College.
The initiative brought together students from Watim Dental College, HBS Dental College, Margalla Institute of Health Sciences and Rawal Institute of Health Sciences in an intercollegiate academic setting centred on community dentistry.
The event ultimately combined academic competition with student engagement, giving emerging dental professionals a platform to explore preventive dentistry, public oral health and community-focused dental issues while receiving recognition for their work.
With cash prizes awarded across the top four positions, the competition also recognised the effort involved in developing and communicating dental-health concepts in an accessible and visually engaging format.
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