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Department of Pediatric Dentistry

Chair: Amr M. Moursi, D.D.S., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatric Dentistry

Overview
The Department of Pediatric Dentistry was founded in 1949, as one of the first in the nation, and has always been committed to community service and care for the underserved. The department established a modality of nonpharmacologic behavior management and anticipatory guidance that has been a model in the specialty. The core philosophy is that oral health care of the infant and child is the responsibility of the primary care provider and through health promotion and prevention of oral disease, every child can grow up with a healthy and intact dentition. The Infant Dental Education Area (IDEA), one of the first in the nation, was created to provide a nonthreatening environment for education and treatment for the young child. The innovative “Smile Team” Program guarantees that every child can remain cavity free.

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry has developed programs to aid in improving access and providing care to children regardless of their medical or financial status. There is a long history of working with the community and public schools to provide oral health education and treatment to children. One of the most recent and exciting aspects of this community service is the NYUCD mobile van Smiling Faces, Going Places that brings comprehensive dental care to underserved populations in New York City at public schools, Head Start facilities, and shelters for homeless children of New York City. Some of the other programs include the following:

• A 25-year history of providing care to public school children at the pediatric dentistry clinic for comprehensive care through a school busing program.
• Outreach programs that provide screening to 5,000 children annually including physically and emotionally challenged children
• Community health fairs citywide to provide oral health education, screenings, and referrals, including the New York City Special Olympics, Special Smiles Program.
• Affiliation with New York City Head Start day care centers to provide oral health examinations and a busing treatment program for comprehensive care.
• “Playing It Safe” Mouth Guard Program to provide preventive service through community centers and schools.
• Partners in Prevention Programs: training nondental health care providers about oral health care including early intervention strategies, education and oral health care to mothers and their infants in community shelters, and adolescent mothers through the LYFE Program at high schools citywide.

Curriculum
The curriculum in pediatric dentistry is presented so that the general dentist will be well-prepared to meet the needs of infants, children, and adolescents. The philosophy of early prevention and nonpharmacologic management is used to instill in the child and parent that dentistry is an expected part of good overall health. The curriculum focuses on the anatomic, physiologic, and psychological differences and changes that occur as children become adults and the modifications that are necessary in dental care. Throughout students’ education, they participate in one of the nation’s largest outreach programs at public school system and community centers (Head Start centers).

First Year
In the first year, the student learns about health promotion and preventive strategies and general dentistry restorative techniques as applicable to the pediatric dentition. Courses provide the student with the basic skills required to diagnose and treat the growing child and include pediatric prevention and basic restorative techniques.

Second Year
During the second year, students are presented the pediatric dentistry curriculum through the integrated lectures courses of Introduction to Pediatric Dentistry, General Dentistry Simulation, Diagnosis Risk Assessment and Disease Management, and Growth Guidance. Lectures in the second year focus on diagnostic and foundation knowledge of considerations in pediatric dentistry and include diagnostic tools, behavior management, child development, risk assessment and prevention, space management, and restorative dentistry. Competencies in the area of child abuse and neglect of the pediatric patient, and prevention techniques including injury prevention, are required for promotion to the next level of education.

In preparation for clinical care, through experiential methods, students become familiar with clinical techniques for the pediatric patient, while learning about clinical procedures and experiences that the pediatric dental patient is to face.

Third Year
Lectures in the third year deal with the specialty treatment of pediatric dentistry problems. Advanced pediatric topics included are behavior modification for the noncompliant patient, special patient care, developmental problems, traumatic injuries, health promotion, and anticipatory guidance. Students present clinical cases during seminars that integrate patient care from a case-based, patient-focused perspective.

During the third year, students begin to provide comprehensive patient care of pediatric patients in the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic. Opportunities exist to develop skills in clinical treatment of a wide variety of childhood conditions. Emphasis is given to prevention, changing concepts in caries restorations including nonsurgical care, community outreach programs, and provision of care to underserved children.

Fourth Year
Senior students continue to provide comprehensive patient care of pediatric patients in the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic with competencies in the area of diagnostic, prevention, and restorative care. Opportunities exist to treat the more difficult pediatric patient. Seminars in the fourth year utilize the student’s acquired skills to further comprehensive treatment of pediatric patients in a general practice environment.

Pediatric Dentistry Honors Program: This program allows students to finely focus their pediatric dentistry skills through seminars, treatment of very young pediatric patients using conscious sedation and behavior management, and hospital rotations where they provide patient care under general anesthesia.

Research
Past research in the department has been focused on the early treatment, preventive strategies, and educational models to disseminate this information to the necessary providers and parents of the pediatric population. There have been several funded demonstration programs including the Infant Oral Health, Partners in Prevention, and “Playing it Safe” programs.

Some of the present research projects in the department include investigations of utilization of emergency services, oral health disparities, compliance with care, use of topical and local anesthesia in pediatric patients, developmental norms, and effective early intervention strategies.

The department has a HRSA training grant to help support an increased number of residents in the Advanced Education Program in Pediatric Dentistry.