ORAL HEALTH INEQUALITY AND BARRIERS TO ORAL HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

Abstract

Oral health is an important integral part of general health of an individual. In developing countries like India, Oral health care services have always been a challenge due to in affordability, inaccessibility and lack of utilization by the general community Oral health care services are expensive at corporate and private levels and cheap in medical and dental institutions where they are provided by trainees under good supervision. However, because of wide geographical variations and unequal distribution of oral health care providers with majority being in urban areas, it is mostly difficult for the rural population to easily access these services. Besides, ignorance about significance of oral health, lack of perceived needs, economic constraints, cultural and psychological barriers are few other constraints to utilization of these services by the masses. Though a fair proportion of urban Indians have recognized the importance of oral health care, a vast majority of rural population still lacks an insight to this core area. Measures such as proper Oral Health Insurances, Governmental implementation awareness programs and introduction of oral health policies could help overcome these barriers. Every dental surgeon should contribute to bring about this behavioral change among Indian population.