DENTAL DOCTORS FACING MANY PROBLEMS

DENTAL DOCTORS FACING
MANY PROBLEMS
Hundreds of BDS graduates in India have deviated from their chosen profession to join the work force in various multinational firms besides call centers and medical transcription companies.
The high costs involved in establishing dental clinics in urban areas that are already concentrated with dentists appear to be forcing BDS graduates to look out side their vocation for rewarding career. At least Rs 5 lakh to establish a clinic with necessary dental equipment and minimal interiors. Besides, dentists are found in every nook and corner of the city and it takes a long time for any dental clinic to become established and begin drawing patients. BDS graduates in large numbers had cast its shadow on the Diamond Jubilee of Dental Council of India (DCI) held in Bangalore recently.
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science Vice Chancellor emphasized the need for policy makers to come out with solutions to hold them back in the profession. He offered to work towards offering more fellowships for BDS graduates to take up further studies and engage themselves in skill upgrading programmes. They have to offer them incentives to retain them in the profession
Considered to be a pioneer in dental education in the country, Karnataka boasts of the largest number of dental colleges in India, admitting as many 2,500 new students every year out of 283 dental colleges in India as many as 42 are situated in Karnataka. Total of 24,486 dentists had been registered in Karnataka.
There are far too many dentists concentrated in urban areas such as Bangalore. Even if BDS graduates arrange for the funds and start a clinic, the returns will not commensurate with the investment at least for the first few years.
There are many dentists who offer free consultation; most dentists do not charge more than Rs 50 for consultation
A BDS graduate can enter the teaching profession only he or she takes up MDS. But MDS seats are few in numbers can accommodate barely 15 to 20 percent of all BDS graduates. The government is coming forward to employ dentists in PHC’s situated in rural areas of the state. The BDS graduate does not go to rural areas and set up clinics. The poor awareness oral health care in rural areas will make the venture financially unviable.

PROF.JOHN KURAKAR