Bhubaneswar, Sep. 24: Prof. (Dr.) Susant Mohanty, Head of Pediatrics and
Preventive Dentistry at the Institute of Dental Sciences (IDS), faculty of dental
sciences of SOA Deemed to be University here, has been elected as the President
of the Indian Society of Pediatrics and Preventive Dentistry at its 47th National
Conference held at New Delhi recently.
Prof. (Dr.) Mohanty took over from the immediate past President Prof.
Sudhindra Baliga and was collared by ISPPD’s Honorary Secretary General Prof.
(Dr.) Varinder Goyal.
In his presidential address, he spoke about his vision for ISPPD and the
need to work in collaboration with obstetricians, pediatricians and workers
engaged in the field of maternal and community health.
A pregnant woman should not have to navigate separate systems for oral
and general health as maternal oral health was important and could influence the
child's future oral health trajectory, he said.
Prof. (Dr.) Mohanty also talked about research priorities which should be
driven by national and regional needs, particularly by evidence gaps that could
translate into policy and practice. Another important area that deserved attention
was the comprehensive management of children with multiple oral health
problems under general anesthesia so that a child with multiple treatment needs
could receive comprehensive care rather than fragmented interventions, he said.
At the same time, these cases could offer excellent opportunities for
training interns and post graduates in comprehensive diagnosis, treatment
planning and multidisciplinary management, he said.
