If you are someone who is living in a city or any big town, You must have probably wondered, at least once, How are so many dentists thriving in the same vicinity?
But, if you are someone living in a smaller town or a village. You must have probably wondered, at least once, Why is my nearest dentist so far away?
Ironically, the burden of dental diseases is significantly higher in urban and rural places.
The numbers are staggering and, so is the disparity in dental care, My professor once said the goal of every dentist should be to eliminate the need for any dentist.
In simpler words, Preventive Dentistry is the way to reduce the public health burden of dental diseases.
Unfortunately, the dental awareness in our country is far behind the expected levels and any push for preventive dentistry is quite often faced with the snub, Frankly, the majority of dentists are focused on tertiary care and rehabilitation. The concept of primordial or primary prevention is non-existent.
To add to this woes, the skill set and training of fresh dentists are also seeing a downward shift, We cannot solve the world of problems that exist in dentistry overnight. But, we are to adamantly persevere one step at a time to make things right in whatever capacity possible.
The only good news is Oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated easily in their early stages.
With this good news in hand, we shouldn’t be quiet. We should be working towards innovative solutions to bring about a paradigm shift in oral health care in India.
We need to be excited but at the same time challenged by the immense tasks and responsibilities that lie in front of us.
Of course, a single person or entity can only do so much and, that’s why we are to constantly look out for partners working on a similar mission.
Overall, our message for you is this, The opportunities to showcase love is immense.
If you can gift someone something today, why can’t it be a healthy smile?
Know someone around who badly needs a healthy smile but can hardly afford it??
Why don’t you gift them one at your nearest dental facility (if you are fortunate to have one) ??!
Bottom-Line: We cannot breach the wall of inequality in dental care unless all our hands join with a firm commitment to equitable care.