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Dental disease is a critical health issue globally, especially in the rural & underserved areas. Oral cancer & periodontal diseases are widespread. India has more than 275 dental colleges producing 25,000 graduates each year to service over one billion people. But, the utilization of Dental Care facilities in urban India is low compared to North America. It is even lower in rural India. This is true for most rural areas globally. There is no single solution when you consider the rural geographical areas globally. This crisis in the rural populations is due to fewer dentists and lower dental care utilization causing increased rates of dental issues like tooth loss. This in turn will develop patient loss of confidence, facial appearance issues and further deterioration of teeth in the absence of more expensive prosthesis service. Even in the U.S.A 60% of the rural Counties have insufficient dental professionals available.
The probability of adults living in Rural Areas visiting dentists compared to a medical professional is miniscule. Since dental diseases cause the medical problems, it makes sense that the dental services should be made available as part of the medical service in the rural and underserved areas. This way the same dental and medical services should be available to children, which in turn should help them grow up with less dental and medical issues.
Considerations for practitioners in underserved areas are access to care, financial limitations, dental fear, transportation and other structural issues which will vary globally. Dental professionals in the rural areas should be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the individuals in their specific geographical regions. The dental health program in these rural communities should incorporate education regarding dental care and the correlation to the physical health. Oral infections and diseases affect a person’s entire body, not just their mouth, especially when the immune system is already down from lack of routine medical checkups. Death tolls are high from treatable conditions. Financial issues also prevent them to secure dental service even if it was available. Food will take priority over dental service. The basics like toothbrushes and toothpastes can contribute to better dental health and related medical health.
Many underserved areas may already have a Medical Services available and adding Dental Services will complement the overall effort of the providers. Integrated services may be more effective to achieve the desired health benefits.
Before creating a Dental/medical services in a particular rural geographical area, examine the barriers that keep rural residents from wanting this help. Once these barriers are determined the solutions can be worked out for the overall success of the program.
Rural area residents will not be receiving preventive dental care which could necessitate more expensive dental care, such as prosthesis, extractions, and periodontal help. Preventive dental visits help in early detection and treatment of Oral Diseases.
Dental patients in the rural & urban areas go to dentists only when they have pain and don’t return for the follow up. Patients should be made aware of the various dental diseases, causes, and solutions. Adequate knowledge is the key.
Commonly required dental services in the rural areas are fillings, extractions and dental prosthesis. Dental Service utilization among adults is low, problem driven, and influenced by socioeconomic factors. Early diagnosis and associated treatment plus preventive measure should be paramount when planning for the rural area dental program.
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