MPH in Dental Public Health
Key Facts
Overview
Dental Public Health is an essential niche in the vast area of Public Health, specifically focussing on oral health issues at a population level. Oral healthcare services and awareness remains unreached in many pockets of the world. Dental public health aims to reach these pockets by planning oral health programs, strategizing interventions for the prevention and control of oral diseases, and promoting oral health and hygiene practices.
Dental Public Health is based on the principle of increasing the use of preventive and interdisciplinary models in the dental healthcare delivery systems while also improving the access and quality of care for the underserved population. An essential component of this field is to advocate for oral health and design and conduct population-based studies to answer oral and public health questions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, lockdowns and increasing recognition of teledentistry, the public awareness regarding preventive dentistry has increased and a demand for policy initiatives is growing.
The MPH Dental Public Health program offers a platform for health workers, scientists, and allied health professionals for conducting research in dental public health with a focus on disease surveillance and monitoring, systemic/oral health interactions, health services research, program evaluation, determinants of oral hygiene behaviour and occurrence of chronic oral diseases, to ultimately improve health outcomes in the population.
The program is comprised of 138 ECTS credits and can be completed in about 18 months. For a detailed list of courses taught in this program, please refer to the curriculum.
After completion of 42 credits, an interim qualification of Advanced Diploma in Public Health Management is awarded. This part of your studies only includes coursework. This is followed by the completion of additional 72 credits via coursework and 24 credits via dissertation under the guidance of a mentor.
Curriculum
Introduction To Public Health and Healthcare
This course introduces the principles, history, and practice of public health and healthcare. It covers preventive medicine, healthcare systems across developed, developing, and transition countries, and key global health challenges including disease control and health inequalities. Learners explore the role of public health in health promotion, disease prevention, and improving population health through lectures, case studies, videos, and supplementary resources.
Community Medicine
This course introduces the fundamental concepts of health, disease, and disease prevention, covering the natural history of diseases, levels of prevention, globalization and health, and the determinants and indicators of health. It also explores health assessment methods, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10 and ICD-11), healthcare strategies, and evidence-based public health. Through lectures, presentations, videos, and supplementary reading materials, learners develop an understanding of public health challenges and strategies for improving population health and health equity.
Epidemiology
This course introduces the fundamentals of epidemiology, covering the concepts of disease occurrence, causation, epidemiological study designs, and statistical analysis. It also explores evidence-based medicine, disease patterns, and the application of epidemiological methods in public health research. Through lectures, presentations, videos, and supplementary reading materials, learners develop a foundational understanding of epidemiology and its role in disease prevention and population health.
Health Planning and Hospital Management
This course explores the principles of health planning, management, and hospital administration, covering managerial planning and forecasting, planning tools, staffing and selection processes, organizational structures, delegation, time management, and control techniques. It also examines hospital planning and design, linen and laundry services, hospital waste disposal, medical records, quality assurance, medical audits, marketing of health services, and evaluation of hospital services. Learners develop an understanding of effective healthcare management and strategies for improving hospital operations and service quality.
Health Economics
This course introduces the fundamental principles of health economics, covering economic concepts, health economics, demand and supply in healthcare, healthcare markets, and externalities. It explores the role of competition, regulation, and government intervention in healthcare, along with healthcare financing and affordability. Through lectures, presentations, and supplementary readings, learners develop an understanding of how economic principles influence healthcare resource allocation, service delivery, and decision-making.
Biostatistics
This course introduces the fundamental principles of biostatistics, covering data handling, data presentation, tests of significance, categorical data analysis, and non-parametric methods. It also explores statistical applications in clinical trials, sample size estimation, metabolomics, and public health research. Through lectures, presentations, and assignments, learners develop the skills to interpret data, apply statistical methods, and support evidence-based decision-making in healthcare and research.
Nutrition
This course explores the fundamental principles of nutrition, covering nutritional screening and assessment, nutritional counselling, micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies, metabolic disorders, and medical nutrition therapy (MNT). It also examines nutrition in non-communicable and infectious diseases, food hygiene and safety, pregnancy and lactation, nutrition policies and programs, and food processing. Learners develop an understanding of the role of nutrition in disease prevention, health promotion, and improving health outcomes across different stages of life.