Comments on: Dentistry in India

By: Chris Phippen

Chris Phippen — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:24:23 +0000

Leave it to Jay to investigate dentistry in India, haha. Great post, Jay! I was definitely surprised to read that some of India’s dentistry industry is superior to our own, given my initial impressions of the country. But then again, as with many other facets of India, there seems to be a duality of segments of the country that are highly advanced and those that are still relatively undeveloped. I think your post does a great job of illustrating both sides.

By: Frederick Peemoeller

Frederick Peemoeller — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:16:37 +0000

I think Professor Marlow would be proud of this article. It shows a true free market for dentistry and how it operates in a country with such differences in wealth. It seems that dental care is not considered a right in India, and the government is not subsidizing it. I doubt those street dentists had significant dental education, but they were able to help the poor Indians that would not be able to pay for the quality of dental care that you would see in the states. Rather than enforcing strict dental regulations, India is turning a blind eye to these street dentists. Now, you are giving people treatment that can’t afford dentists who follow the dental council of India. There is no shortage of dental care because there is no price floor from government regulations…..It’s brilliant!

You might argue that these people may have severe repercussions such as infections and diseases from sharing needles, but maybe that risk is worth the pain of a tooth that needs to be pulled. I think its up to the consumer to decide.

By: Catherine Kristensen

Catherine Kristensen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:20:55 +0000

Wow, that video made me cringe! I just got a filling at the dentist this week, so my mouth is still a little sensitive and watching that video may have just put me over the edge…

Seeing the flies hovering over the pliers shows the reality of street dentistry. Our standards are so different, with each piece of dental equipment individually sealed in plastic and opened just before use.

I am curious how dental school education (admission requirements, length of program, tuition costs, etc) in India compares to the US? It sounds like it is a growing field in India. I read this statistic (from 2006) on http://www.dentalindia.com that is very intriguing:

“The dentist population ratio of 1:300,000 in the 1960s stands at 1:22,000 today, demonstrating the vitality of the profession.”

Jay, be sure to let us know if you decide to set up shop in Bangalore after you finish DDS school!

By: Chase Janvrin

Chase Janvrin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:54:06 +0000

Great post Jay! The first half of this blog made me eager to get all that dental work done that I’ve been putting off, while in India. Then, I re-thought my position.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that when he was in India he remembers the majority of people he met didn’t brush their teeth, they only used tongue scrapers. I of course tried to incorporate that logic and didn’t brush my teeth for a few days, until my mom discovered my ‘plan’. While she was decidedly unimpressed, I’ve always brushed my tongue after brushing my teeth since.

And dear god I hope I never have to go to a street dentist, no matter what country I’m in.

By: Phil Hamer

Phil Hamer — Sat, 29 May 2010 22:58:36 +0000

I don’t think any other country’s dental industry could rival America’s. We have an obsession with our teeth and we subconsciously look down on people with crooked or discolored teeth. I find myself guilty of it all the time. I’m sure India, just like many other countries, has equal technology, just not equal high standards.

When I was in China one of my fillings fell out and I hesitantly went to a local dentist to get it fixed. I was pleasantly surprised with the technology the dentist had and felt just as I would in an American dental chair. He did an excellent job on my filling for a mere $20. I was so happy with the price and result I asked him to make an appointment to clean my teeth since I hadn’t had my teeth professionally cleaned in a while. He told me that I didn’t need one and that my teeth were the cleanest he had ever seen. This was a stark contrast to my usual dentist visits where the dentist chews me out for not flossing as much as I should and waiting too long between visits.

I regret not being a little more insistent because I do need a cleaning and now I will have to pay the big bucks. That is, unless I decide to do it in India… So Jay, be happy that you will always have lines of tooth obsessed Americans filling your future dentist office.

By: Emily Schaapveld

Emily Schaapveld — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:36:25 +0000

Ahhhh!! I promise I will never complain about going to the dentist again. What I am curious about is how the Indian diet affects dental hygiene compared to the American diet. In general, are Indians teeth more healthy than Americans or visa versa?