Giving Back to Our Country - Dental Care in Pakistan

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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\01\18\story_18-1-2009_pg15_3

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Giving back to our country

* Dental Corporation — a new vista in healthcare

By Professor Amin ur Rahman,

DDS, MPH, MS (Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Public

Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)and Dr Irfan Qureshi,

BDS, MS Kings College, London

Becoming a dental surgeon in the 1980’s cost around Rs3000 per year as tuition

and board in college hostels. Since becoming dentists in the 70’ and 80’s, it is

anyone’s guess how much dental surgeons have earned. How do we give back to

Pakistan what it has given to us: a professional education, means to better

lives, to live comfortably and honour in this beautiful land?

It is time to give back!

Dental Corporation was an idea conceived by the authors as a way to give back to

Pakistan what it has given to us. A concept in the field of health for “giving

back” to Pakistan in a small and maybe, significant manner.

Dental care is a vital part of health care. There is increasing evidence that

poor dental health, including gum diseases, is a major risk factor for

cardiovascular diseases, low birth weight children, respiratory problems,

diabetes and a whole lot of other chronic diseases. In addition, the spread of a

fatal disease like hepatitis, through infected dental instruments and needles,

makes for a concerted effort to be made by the private and public health sector

to seriously consider the impact of dental care on Pakistani society.

According to a latest report, Pakistan has the highest rate of liver diseases in

the world; including hepatitis C, a fatal viral infection. The people of

Pakistan having, one of the lowest literacy rates, cannot comprehend the long

term consequences, both in terms of financial as well as the health aspects of

this devastating disease.

“Over the last 20 years, acute viral hepatitis has surpassed heart disease and

stroke as the most common cause of hospital admissions and fatalities. I doubt

there is a more infected country in the world,” said a leading professor of

medicine in Lahore.

One of the major causes of transmission of hepatitis C and other viral diseases

is through use of un-sterilized instruments including needles used by health

professionals. In this category come the dentists, both qualified as well as the

unqualified, so-called “quack” dentists, which are an integral part of our

landscape. Most Pakistanis are oblivious to the hepatitis prevalence or how

easily it is contracted.

In the private sector, where the majority, if not the entire population of

Pakistan goes for their dental needs, there is a complete dearth of oversight by

the authorities to make sure that unqualified personnel are not doing treatments

they are not trained in. In addition, dentists, who qualify from recognized

dental schools and flooding the market, are neither able to afford the proper

equipment nor are they adequately trained to make sure their instruments are

properly sterilized.

Dental surgeons and “quacks” are a major source of transmission of hepatitis and

other viral infections in our country. With the mushrooming of dental colleges

and no clear objectives in their training, dentists who are trained only at a

very basic level are flooding the cities and towns with high expectations from

themselves, parents and the society to be able to perform well and earn a decent

living. This influx of poorly trained dentists with no knowledge of their work

is a major source of disease transmission in Pakistan.

Dental Corporation is a determined effort in the private sector to help

alleviate the health of the people of Pakistan. With six offices now in Lahore

and one in Jehlum and an ambitious program to set up over 500 dental offices all

over Pakistan in the next 5-10 years, Dental Corporation is a small step in

providing state of the art dental care, controlling the spread of communicable

diseases, providing employment to young dentists and auxiliary staff and

spreading health education.

The aim of Dental Corporation is to provide state of the art dental care to the

people of Pakistan at a reasonable cost. There is a small percentage of the

Pakistani population that can afford the best care anywhere in the world, it is

actually the middle class that is bearing the brunt of the poor care and not

just abysmal care but also the potential for a fatal disease after being treated

for minor dental problems.

The president and prime minister of Pakistan have taken a special note of the

spread of deadly liver infections and directives have been issued to control

this menace to public health. We plan to be a small but noteworthy partner in

their efforts.

Dental Corporation plans to solve this problem through a three-pronged approach.

Firstly, we are opening dental offices all over Pakistan. These offices will be

state of the art ensuring all specialties of dental care. The most important

caveat, affordable cost to the patient, world-class sterilization techniques,

and high quality care. This will ensure quality dental care to large as well as

small towns and ultimately villages in the country.

Secondly, these offices will be a source of employment for fresh dental surgeons

graduating out of dental colleges. In addition, Dental Corporation plans to

train dental assistants, laboratory technicians and other auxiliary staff to

work in these offices; this will be another excellent source of income for

people who will be employed at Dental Corporation.

Third, Dental Corporation plans to have extensive training for graduating

dentists and staff. Staff training and upgrading of skills is an essential part

of the vision of Dental Corporation. This will include importing of foreign

professors from various universities to come and teach the dentists who are

working for the corporation. Also, public health education will be a prime focus

for Dental Corporation through print and electronic media, including

school-based education programs.

Most important is the significance of a concerted effort to provide an

environment where safe and quality dental care is provided. This is possible in

a corporate setting as is proved in the US and other developed countries with a

clear objective and strict know-how of procedures and policies. We are sure this

will curb the rampant spread of communicable diseases through dental surgeons.

In our religion, there is a great emphasis on cleanliness. Before our prayers,

we are supposed to go through the process of ablution, clean our mouth three

times per prayer, and this would add to cleaning our mouth fifteen times a day.

The importance of oral health was recognized seventeen hundred years ago and the

time has come to finally understand and put it into practice today. Dental

Corporation plans to help the people of Pakistan understand and help take care

of this extremely vital part of ones health at a very affordable cost.

Dental care is one of the most expensive of medical cares worldwide; Dental

Corporation has the stated aim of providing exceptional quality of dental care

at extremely affordable prices. This is possible by importing the entire

equipment, materials and essentials from abroad at competitive prices. In

addition, with low overheads and mass appeal, costs can be curtailed and savings

passed on to the consumers.

Dental care starts from the age of three, if not before, and children should

visit the dentist before they are in pain due to a toothache so that they are

confident enough to visit the dentists later without any fear. Modern dentistry

is not painful. Gum disease is rampant in our society and is an easily treatable

disease provided it is caught early. Tooth loss is now easily treated with

dental implants giving back one’s lost teeth and preventive measures instituted

every six months ensure a lifetime of trouble free dental and oral health.

Pakistan has one of the highest rates of mouth cancer, which again can be

treated if detected early, especially in cities like Karachi.

There is a dearth of public health education in the dental field; Dental

Corporation plans to address this issue with a massive education campaign along

with major manufacturers of dental products. We see no reason why the Pakistani

population cannot have excellent oral and dental health.

Dental Corporation ultimately is a community based dental service provider. All

its offices will be located in a way that it provides a sense of belongingness

to a community, a town or a village, and helps in spreading the word about

health care. Visit one of the Dental Corporation offices in your locality; see

the quality of care being provided with friendly staff and a community feeling.

The cost of treatment is very reasonable and affordable to everyone.

Pakistan has given us so much. Think how you can give back a little bit to your

country. It deserves that we give back a little bit of our expertise, through

Dental Corporation. We have started to do our part, think how you can help

Pakistan in your respective fields.