A Meager 7% Indians Seek Dental Consultation:IDA

Bhubaneswar: Dr. Ashok Dhable, Secretary General of the Indian Dental Association (IDA), revealed that only a meager six to seven percent of India’s population actively consults a dentist when confronted with dental issues. Emphasizing the abysmally low rate of people seeking assistance for dental problems, Dr. Dhable stressed the necessity to enhance this figure to a minimum of 15 percent.

Addressing the audience at the 39th state conference of the IDA held at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), Dr. Dhable advocated for instilling a sense of the importance of proper dental care in children from an early age. He asserted the urgent need for a national school oral health program to achieve this goal.

As the chief guest at the event, Dr. Dibyendu Mazumdar, President of Dental Council of India (DCI), highlighted the presence of 370 dental colleges in India, boasting over three lakh dental surgeons. He underscored the importance of establishing a national task force to ensure the effective implementation of dental curriculum standards. Dr. Mazumdar commended SOA for the outstanding performance of the Institute of Dental Sciences (IDS), which secured the 9th rank in the country according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

Presiding over the program, SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda outlined the ongoing research initiatives within the university. Other notable speakers included Prof. Neeta Mohanty, Dean of IDS and President of IDA Kalinga, Dr. Michael John, President of IDA Odisha, Dr. Sanjeeb Kumar Pradhan, Secretary of IDA Kalinga, and Dr. Subash Chandra Nayak, Secretary of IDA Odisha. Dr. Abhilash Mohapatra, Organising Chairman, and Dr. Anurag Satpathy, Scientific Chairman, also shared their insights.

The event saw the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. P.K. Nanda, while Dr. Deepak Kumar Majhi was recognized as the best Secretary of the local branch. Dr. Ipsita Mohanty, Organising Secretary of the event, expressed gratitude in the vote of thanks.

Dr. P.K.Nanda was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion while Dr. Deepak Kumar Majhi was chosen as the best Secrertary of local branch. Dr. Ipsita Mohanty, Organising Secretary of the event, proposed the vote of thanks.