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Dental health most neglected area in the State, says the association

BERHAMPUR: Dental health is the most neglected area in the health sector in Orissa, feels the Orissa unit of the Indian Dental Association. They demand appointment of dentists at Primary Health Centre (PHC) level in the State, which is being done in other states of the country.

“Both the Government as well as the general public are yet to realise the importance of dentistry”, said the present Vice-President and former president of the association, Ashok Kumar Mohanty. According to him only 1.2 per cent of our population visits a dentist more than once in their life time. The irony is that less than one per cent of our population is aware that dental diseases can be fatal.

Around 30 per cent of all cancers are related to oral cavity. Its prevalence has increased many folds due to increased consumption of tobacco. The worst sufferers are the rural mass who is still ignorant of dentistry as a field of medical care in our State, said Mr. Mohanty. He also cited a survey, which claimed that more than 70 percent children and 81 per cent adults had gum problems. Due to absence of qualified dentists in rural areas unqualified quacks are having hey day in rural areas of Orissa.

Every district headquarter hospital in Orissa there is provision of only one post of dental surgeon, who can never meet the needs of rural and urban public of the area. Since long the association is demanding creation of a second post for a dental surgeon at district headquarter hospitals. But it is yet to be done. Recently the association has proposed the State Government to include dental health in the rural health care to end exploitation of rural public at the hands of quacks who pose as dentists. Mr. Mohanty said in several other states, dentists have been appointed at PHC level, which could be repeated in Orissa.

They also want the State Dental Council to be revived by the State Government and provision of better amenities to the Dental wing of the SCB medical college, Cuttack, which is celebrating its silver jubilee this year. But it lacks basic infrastructure in terms of building, equipment and teaching staff.

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