|
|
| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 28
| Issue : 4 | Page : 354 |
|
| Burden of oral diseases in India: Where are we? |
|
|
SM Balaji
Executive Editor, Indian Journal of Dental Research, Director and Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Click here for correspondence address and email
| Date of Web Publication | 16-Aug-2017 |
|
|
 |
|
How to cite this article:
Balaji S M. Burden of oral diseases in India: Where are we?. Indian J Dent Res 2017;28:354 |
A recent mammoth body of work concerning the systematic analysis for the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors with regard to oral diseases for the past 25 years has indicated that there is no change in the trend of the oral disorders. On a global scale, it is reported that the age-standardized prevalence of oral conditions remained relatively stable between 1990 and 2015.[1]
Drastic changes in dental sector and increase in dental workforce in India during the study period, opening of private dental sectors, it is logical to believe that oral disease burden during the period should be reduced. On the other hand, the explosion of population, particularly increase in geriatric population as well as disproportionate dental workforce distribution, is being noted in India.[2] Probably, as a result of numerous economical and sociocultural reasons, Indian oral disorder burden has not changed over the years. As per the manuscript, India lost 2656292.55 (1583657.57–4095978.39) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) with an annual change of about 0.3% per year. Currently in India, 1.09% (1.00–1.19) or 0.83% (0.81–0.86) of all DALYs are contributed by oral disorders while, during the same period, the DALYs for all causes were −0.12 (−0.16–−0.09).[1]
This indicates that other branches of medicine were successful in combating and reducing the DALYs while dentistry as whole has failed. The time has come to introspect and create sustainable, achievable goals that would properly create/utilize the huge pool of dental workforce in India.[2],[3] Greater efforts are needed with potentially altered approaches if the goal for oral health are to be achieved by 2020.
 References | |  |
| 1. | Kasebaum NJ, Smith AG, Bernabe E, Fleming TD, Reynolds AE, Vos T, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years for oral conditions for 195 countries, 1990-2015: A systematic analysis for the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. J Dent Res 2017;96:380-7.  |
| 2. | Balaji SM, Mathur VP. Dental practice, education and research in India. Oral health inequalities and health systems in Asia-Pacific. Natl India 2017; [doi: 10.1038/nindia.2017.28]. |
| 3. | Balaji SM. Redefining and reinventing dentistry. Indian J Dent Res 2017;28:241. [ PUBMED] [Full text] |
Correspondence Address:
S M Balaji
Executive Editor, Indian Journal of Dental Research, Director and Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijdr.IJDR_413_17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Users online:
