Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR)
Mangalore, Jan 26: The 61st Indian Dental Conference of Indian Dental Association (IDA) was inaugurated as per schedule at the Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre here on Friday, Jan 25.
Speaking after the inaugural ceremony brigadier Dr Anil Kohli, president of the Dental Council of India (DCI) informed that the council has recommended to the government to post dentists at primary health centres (PHCs) across the country as 70% of the people live in rural areas. "Besides providing employment to dentists, their posting will help the rural population in getting treatment," he opined.
On the subject of research in dentistry he opined that research should be made mandatory with any programme in medical education, especially in dental science courses. Dental research has not shown its full potential in India so far, he rued. According to him though there might have been certain amount of research in dentistry, they had failed in documenting them in a proper manner, due to which they were unable to make authentic notes into international archives.
Moreover according to him this is an exciting period for research in dentistry as newer advancements are being made in the field every other day and in fact dental science has made its presence with information technology with the emergence of virtual dental charting, he added.
Dr Kohli even informed that the Council has recommended to the central government that the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) graduates should not get a salary of less than Rs 15,000 and that interns should not get less thean Rs 3,000. He felt that dentists truly deserve something good. Other recommendations made to the government was to make continuing dental education mandatory in order to keep pace with globalisation.
With regard to dental tourism in the country the DCI chief opined that there were a lot of avenues open, apart from fields like cosmetic dentistry, bleaching and the like. Providing quality services is the only way to make them long lasting, he advised. Declaring that oral cancer is the biggest challenge before Indian dentistry, he informed that it was to deal with this deadly disease that the Oral Cancer Prevention and Research Foundation (OCPRF) has been established.
Corporation Bank chairman and managing director B Sambamurthy inaugurated a dental trade exhibition. APDF/APRO vice-president and chief national co-ordinator Dr Bhagwant Singh released a souvenir while Manipal University pro-chancellor Prof H S Ballal inaugurated the scientific programme.
Indian Dental Association president Dr M C Mohan, honourary general secretary Dr Ashok Dhoble, organizing secretary Dr Manjunath Rai, Dr U S Mohandas Nayak, Dr U S Krishna Nayak and Capt R Bellie and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.