Treatment-driven care dominates Indian dentistry, but at what cost?
Writing for international dental audiences revealed a stark contrast: abroad, preventive dentistry is foundational. In India, my clinical experience tells a different story, one where patients arrive only when pain becomes unbearable or swelling demands attention.
The tragedy? Most of these cases were entirely preventable.
The Five Critical Gaps
- The Awareness Deficit
Most Indians don’t know that cavities can be prevented with simple treatments like fluoride applications or dental sealants. These routine interventions elsewhere remain unknown to the average patient here. Children particularly suffer, without early intervention, minor issues snowball into serious problems that persist into adulthood. - Neglected Pediatric Care
Parents receive little education about children’s oral health. Dentists, overwhelmed by time-bound appointments and patient loads, often skip these crucial conversations. The critical early years pass without intervention, missing the opportunity to establish lifelong preventive habits. - Isolation from General Healthcare
India’s healthcare system treats oral health as separate from overall wellbeing, ignoring established links between oral diseases and conditions like diabetes and heart disease. In government institutions serving most Indians, oral health receives minimal priority. Resources are scarce, preventive programs virtually nonexistent, and public awareness campaigns rare. - The Insurance and Cost Barrier
Dental insurance coverage in India is extremely rare. Patients bear the full financial burden, making even routine preventive visits economically unfeasible for many families. Faced with immediate household expenses versus preventing future dental problems, prevention loses every time. By the time patients seek care, treatment costs are exponentially higher. - Rural Access Crisis
Rural India suffers severe shortages of qualified dental professionals and proper facilities. When traveling to urban centers isn’t feasible, people resort to unqualified practitioners performing risky procedures under unsafe conditions. Without preventive care infrastructure, problems escalate unchecked until emergency intervention becomes necessary.
The Real Cost
This systemic neglect creates ripple effects: increased economic burden on families, lost productivity from missed school and work days, reduced quality of life, and poor oral health patterns passing from generation to generation.
Transformation requires coordinated effort
For dental professionals:
Prioritise patient education at every appointment. Champion pediatric preventive care. Leverage digital platforms to extend reach beyond the clinic.
For the healthcare system:
Integrate oral health into primary care. Launch widespread awareness campaigns targeting schools and rural communities. Expand dental infrastructure in underserved areas.
For policymakers:
Include dental coverage in health insurance plans. Strengthen government preventive programs. Implement school-based fluoride and sealant initiatives.
A Different Reality Is Possible
Countries that prioritised preventive dentistry now see children growing up cavity-free, where routine check-ups are as normal as vaccinations. India has the dental professionals, knowledge, and capability to achieve this transformation.
What’s needed is collective will, from practitioners who educate every patient, to institutions prioritising oral health, to policymakers recognising prevention as medically sound and economically intelligent.
Every preventable tooth lost, every child suffering from avoidable decay, every family facing financial hardship due to advanced disease represents a failure of our current system.
We cannot continue treating what could have been prevented. Better oral health for India starts with us, the dentists, educators, and advocates willing to change the narrative.
MBH/AB