About Us

Why take Action?

National Oral Health Survey conducted in 2005 by Indian Dental Association (IDA) highlighted dental disparities have increased. Rural Indians are our most vulnerable citizens. This survey found Dentist :Population ratio in the rural areas to be dismally low with less than 2% dentists being available for 72% of rural population. The grim reality in India is, that 95% of the population suffers from gum disease, only 50% use a toothbrush and just 2% of the population visit the dentist.

The survey sounded an alarm and the need to affirm once again that ---- oral health is very vital to general health and well-being. IDA's response was to address the ‘silent epidemic of oral diseases affecting the most vulnerable citizens of lowest strata young and old and under-privileged groups’ by initiating NOHP  which aims at optimal oral health by 2020.

Oral Diseases are Preventable

Good oral health is vital to good overall health.  IDA call-for-action assesses needs, monitors outcomes, decrease disparities, improve access to care and ultimately improves oral health. IDA affirms that oral health is essential to general health and well-being and thus the need to take action. IDA aims that

• No body suffers from oral diseases which can be prevented and treated.
• Young children do not from suffer caries.
• Rural populations do not experience poor oral health due to barriers to access to care, shortage of resources and professional.

These actions crystallize IDA’s aim for optimal oral health for the nation. The association is confident that rewards in health and well-being can accrue for all Indians. However, a number of barriers hinder the ability of Indians from attaining optimal oral health calling for action-framework --- a national oral health plan to improve quality of life and eliminate oral health disparities.

IDA wants to create awareness about:

• Oral health being more than healthy teeth.
• The mouth reflects general health and well-being.
• Oral diseases and conditions are associated with other health problems.
• Lifestyle behaviours (tobacco use, excessive alcohol use and poor dietary choices) affect oral and craniofacial health.
• Information is needed to improve India’s oral health and eliminate health disparities.

Reason for Action

Knowledge and breakthroughs of the 21st century in oral, dental and craniofacial research proves that oral diseases, such as caries, periodontal disease, oral cancers and sports-related injuries of the craniofacial complex are all preventable. We conclude that the morbidity, mortality and economic burden associated with these conditions can be considerably reduced by programmes and interventions aimed at prevention and health promotion.

The Burden of Oral Diseases

Oral diseases are progressive, cumulative and become more complex over time. They can affect our ability to eat, the foods we choose, how we look and the way we communicate. These diseases can affect economic productivity and compromise our ability to work at home, at school or on the job.

The following are highlights of oral health data for children, adults, and the elderly.

Children

• India has population of 440 million and 26 million children added annually
  • Cleft lip/palate are one of the most common birth defects.
  • Other birth defects such as hereditary ectodermal dysplasias, where all or most teeth are missing or misshapen, cause lifetime problems that can be devastating to children and adults.
  • Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most common chronic childhood disease – 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever.
  • Over 80% under 15-year-have caries and 40% suffer from malocclusion.
  • Poor children suffer twice as much dental caries.
  • Tobacco-related oral lesions are prevalent in adolescents who currently use smokeless (spit) tobacco.
  • Pain and suffering due to untreated diseases can lead to problems in eating, speaking, and attending to learning.

Adults

• 95% adults show signs of periodontal or gingival diseases.
• Clinical symptoms of viral infections, such as herpes labialis (cold sores) and oral ulcers (canker sores) are common in adulthood as only 2% of the population visit a dentist.
• Chronic disabling diseases such as temporomandibular disorders, Sjögren’s syndrome, diabetes and osteoporosis affects the oral health of Indians.
• Need to increase awareness because 50% Indians don’t use a tooth brush.
• Pain is a common symptom of craniofacial disorders and is accompanied by interference with vital functions such a eating, swallowing and speech.
• Immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV infection and those undergoing organ transplantation, are at higher risk for oral problems such as candidiasis.
• Tobacco-related cancer is the most prevalent of cancers. Annually 1,30,000 people succumb to oral cancer, this translates into approx 14 deaths per hour in India.

Elderly

• Elderly in 65- to 74-year-olds have severe periodontal disease.
• About 30 percent of adults 65 years and older are edentulous. These figures are higher for those living in poverty.
• Oral and pharyngeal cancers are primarily diagnosed in the elderly. Prognosis is poor.

Initiatives by IDA enhance oral health and enlist the expertise of dental professions, individuals, health care providers, communities and policymakers at all levels of society.

Vision and Goals

• For optimal oral health
• Promote oral health and prevent disease.

Goals of the Call To Action is to

• Promote oral health.
• Improve quality of life.
• Eliminate oral health disparities

As a force for change to enhance the nation’s overall health and well-being, IDA seeks to address the nation’s overall health agenda.

Action 1. Change perceptions of oral health

The perception ingrained in Indian mind-set is that oral health is less important than and separate from general health. Activities to overcome these attitudes and beliefs are needed at grassroots level.  Prevention, early detection and management of oral diseases need to be integrated in health care.

This can be done by changing public perceptions

• Enhance oral health literacy.
• Develop messages that are culturally sensitive and linguistically competent.
• Enhance knowledge of the value of regular, professional oral health care.
• Increase the understanding of how the signs and symptoms of oral infections can indicate general health status and act as a barometer for other diseases.

Change Policymakers’ Perceptions

• Inform government of the results of oral health research and programmes and of the oral health status.
• Develop concise and relevant messages for government.
• Develop concise and relevant messages for government.
• Document the health and quality-of-life outcomes that result from the inclusion (or exclusion) of oral health services in programmes and reimbursement schedules.

Change Dentists’ Perceptions

• Train dentists to conduct oral screenings as part of routine physical exams and make appropriate referrals.
• Promote interdisciplinary training of dental personnel in counseling patients about how to reduce risk factors common to oral and general health.
• Encourage dentist’s to refer patients to other health specialists as warranted by examinations and history.

Action 2. Undertake Effective Programmes

Reduce Disease and Disability

To reduce the burden of oral disease through education, behavioural change, risk reduction, early diagnosis and disease prevention management.

Improve Oral Health Care Access Limited Due to

poverty, limited education or language skills, geographic isolation, age, gender, disability, or an existing medical condition. Enhance health promotion and health literacy. Policies and programmes concerning tobacco cessation, dietary choices, wearing protective gear for sports and other lifestyle related efforts for general health and well-being.

Identify and Reduce Disease and Disability by Introducing

oral health-related content in health professions school curricula, residencies and continuing education programmes, by incorporating new findings on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of oral diseases and disorders. Build and support epidemiologic and surveillance databases at identify patterns of disease and populations at risk. Encourage partnerships among research, provider, and educational communities in activities, such as organizing workshops and conferences, to develop ways to meet the education, research, and service needs of patients who need special care and their families.

Improve Access to Oral Health Care

by  improving  provider participation to enhance patient access to care. Assist low-income patients in arranging and keeping oral health appointments.

Action 3. Build the science Base and Accelerate Science Transfer

This depends on biomedical and behavioral research aimed at understanding the causes and pathological processes of diseases. This leads to interventions for prevention, diagnosis and treatment. There is a need to expand clinical studies, especially the study of complex oral diseases that involve the interactions of genetic, behavioural, and environmental factors.  Oral health research must also pursue research on chronic oral infections associated with heart and lung disease, diabetes, and premature low birth- weight babies.  Oral diagnostics, using saliva or oral tissue samples, will contribute to overall health surveillance and monitoring.  The public needs to be informed, accurately and often, of findings that affect their health.

There is a Need to:

• Enhance applied research to improve oral health and prevent disease.
• Intensify studies aimed at the prevention of oral cancer and oral-facial trauma.
• Develop diagnostic markers for disease susceptibility and progression of oral diseases.
• Support research on the effectiveness of community-based and clinical interventions.

Action 4. Increase oral health workforce’s capacity and flexibility

Meet patient needs. Efforts require full community participation, mentorship and creative outreach. Enhance oral health workforce capacity.  Dental school recruitment programmes should offer incentives to students who may want to return to practice in rural areas and inner cities.

Efforts are Needed to

change the racial and ethnic composition of the workforce to meet patient and community needs.  Develop ways to expand and build upon successful recruitment and retention programmes.

Ensure a Sufficient Workforce Pool to Meet Health Care Needs by

expanding scholarships and loan repayment efforts at all levels. Facilitate collaborations among professional, government, academic, industry, community organizations and other institutions that are addressing the needs of the oral health workforce.

Secure an Adequate and Flexible Workforce by a

ssessing the existing capacity and distribution of the oral health workforce in health care shortage areas.

Action 5. Increase Collaborations

The private sector and public sector each has unique characteristics and strengths. Linking the two can result in a creative synergy capitalizing on the talent and resources of each partner. In addition, efforts are needed within each sector to increase the capacity for programme development, for building partnerships, and for leveraging programmes. A sustained effort is needed right now to build the nation’s oral health infrastructure to ensure that all sectors of society--the public, private practitioners, and government personnel--have sufficient knowledge, expertise, and resources to design, implement and monitor oral health programmes.

This action plan will serve as a blueprint, one that can be a tool for enlisting collaborators and partners. Building this plan into existing health programmes will maximize the integration of oral health into general health programmes.