National Smile Torch Campaign Week At Panjab University Dental Institute

Chandigarh, July 11, 2015: Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh Department of Orthodontics at Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital (HSJIDS), Sector 25, PU aims to spread orthodontic awareness through a week long campaign from July 11 to July 20 as a part of National Smile Torch Campaign to celebrate the Golden Jubilee (1965-2015) of Indian Orthodontic Society (IOS) which is a national specialty dental organization governing the conduct of orthodontic profession in India.

New Initiatives by Orthodontic Department at Dr HSJIDS, Sector 25 Chandigarh-Making of department official Face book page as a social media platform (www.facebook.com/orthodonticshsjpu) and the Department has also started a Braces Helpline number (95 30 95 03 03) for smile torch week from 8am -8pm Only, Non Toll Free.

The Braces Helpline is a Very first of its kind service, which is being initiated by any dental Institute  in the country on a trial basis (for  Smile torch week) so as to provide  up-to-date information  about braces to common man  at  home and can greatly reduce the time and efforts required to get the information only.

National Smile Torch Campaign as a part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations IOS has announced a national smile torch campaign to generate awareness about orthodontics at National level. This smile torch is being circulated throughout the length and breadth of the country. It started its journey from Kolkata (49th IOS Conference in November 2014) and will complete its journey in Hyderabad (December 2015 at 50th IOS Conference).

It will be travelling to 35 cities in India in a span of about 300 days. It has already travelled to 15 cities. The Chandigarh Orthodontic Study Group (COSG) will be the 16^th host for “IOS smile torch. Smile torch will be in Chandigarh from 11th-20th July 2015.

While in Chandigarh HSJIDS is celebrating smile torch on 13th and 16th July.

Further, the Dental Institute at HSJIDS plans to celebrate the Smile torch campaign by organizing various activities/contest on 13th & 16th July 2015. The activities being planned are a 2 km  Smile Walk from  dental institute  to student centre followed by flash mob,  Orthodontic awareness Lectures, Rangoli competition, Wire -O Mania, Orthodontic Selfie Smile Contest,  Orthodontic smile fashion show etc.

The institute faculty and students are collaborating with PGIMER and officials of Chandigarh Orthodontic Study Group (COSG) on Saturday afternoon i.e.  11th July for grand reception of Smile Torch from Cochin (the previous host) and  for Smile Run on 12th July 2015 at Sukhna Lake (6 am) and Rahigiri (7.00a.m) at Sector 42.

The Dental Institute at PU is committed to Dental welfare of people of tri-city and adjoining area and will keep providing new modalities for the welfare, say the Institute Principal Dr Ashish Jain. The Institute caters to more than 400 patients on a daily basis and this number is steadily increasing. The Principal thanked the media for their continued patronage and support to the dental institute.

Further he says, that  the starting of Post graduate program  in five  dental specialties from  the current academic session  with give a new impetus to the  research work already being carried  in the institute.  The institute plans to venture into newer areas of dental education and dental health service delivery in the near future. / (SK Vyas, Jalandhar)