DENTAL CARE MONTH -STRENGTHENING ROOTS IN INDIA

As said-"Oral cavity is the mirror of the human body", it is very important to maintain good oral hygiene in order to acquire a healthy and balanced life. Earlier medicine was not focused on the oral cavity, but due to asthetics and its relevance with the nutrition, smoking,systemic diseases dental care is gaining global attention with the emergence of dental camps, primary health centres, free dental treatment in rural as well as urban areas in India.

Rural India is indulged in various ways of smoking eg- bidis, chutta, hukka, snuff and pan and betel nut chewing etc. with compromised nutrition and sub-standard living conditions leading to the development of precancerous and cancerous lesions which are life threatening conditions. Due to lack of knowledge, money and careless attitude towards dental care villagers are suffering from oral lesions like periodontitis, leukoplakia, smokers melanosis, erythroplakia, OSMF , carcinomas etc.

Through these Dental Camps and the accomplishment of National Dental Care Month , dentists are creating awareness about the hazardous effects of the usage of such products and the importance of dental check up. Government of India, in alliance with different companies like colgate and many private institutions are conducting and providing facilities like free dental check up ,biopsies , medications and further refferal to the dental hospital for subsequent follow up.

Urban India mainly faces the problems related to dental caries, malocclusion , teething disorders,developmental anamolies and certain lesions like lichenoid reaction, recurrent apthous ulcers, gingivitis etc. Dentists are providing significant information about maintainence of proper oral hygiene by explaining accurate brushing techniques, frequency of brushing, nutrition, asthetic considerations, free of cost and giving a proper diagnosis thus satisfying the patient in everyway through these camps.

Oral health is also related to systemic diseases like diabetes , asthma, aspiration pneumonia, tuberculosis, hypothyroidism etc in various ways. Here are some complications related to diabetes mellitus as a review to show the relation between oral heath and other systems:

for eg. If a person is suffering from unknown diabetes mellitus of age less than 35 years and no habits, he will dipect these specific features in the oral cavity giving the dentist a clear indication to suspect for diabetes mellitus and refer the patient for investigations. And the level of diabetes decrease if oral hygiene is maintained. This is known as indirect approach.

Oral manifestations of Diabetes Mellitus:

• Chronic generalized periodontitis
• Xerostomia
• Burning mouth syndrome
• Candidiasis
• Delayed and abnormal wound healing
• Increased affinity to infection(caries)
• Diminished salivary flow and salivary gland enlargement
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Acute nectrotising ulcerative gingivitis
• Gingival inflammatory hypertrophy
• Multiple periodontal abscesses
• Dry atrophic cracked oral mucosa, angular chellitis
• Mucositis, ulcers
• Desquamative gingivitis.

Therefore, history taking and clinical examination play a major role in the diagnosis of a particular oral and systemic disease along with their co-relations.

To conclude, with the collaboration of governmental policies and indian dentists, India is progressing in creating awareness and delivering service to humanity.