Roadmap for fostering Oral Health and Disease Prevention in India- A Narrative Review.

Abstract

In recent years, importance of oral health is recognized due to its impact on general health as well as living quality of life (QOL). Besides, it increasingly realized that oral diseases are widespread, extremely expensive to treat, impossible to provide care to all affected and to a large extent preventable.

Till now, the focus of Dental professionals, administrators, policy makers and other stake holders was on provision of highly technical, curative care. Lesser attention was given to disease prevention and the preventive strategies included to a large extent, only oral health education and creating oral health awareness among people. In India, preventive measures such as use of systemic fluoride are non-existent. In India, Preventive measures such as use of systemic fluoride are non-existent. Topical Fluoride application as in the shape of fluoride varnish and mouth rinsing, pit and fissure sealing and preventive restorations are being done for a miniscule of child population