Role of oral physician in Indian public health system

Abstract

The Indian public health scenario is gradually receiving the due attention it deserved at least in the academic front. Oral medicine and radiology in itself is a very vast branch concerned with the diagnosis and non-surgical management of diseases of oral and paraoral structures. The specialty of oral medicine and radiology being in this crucial position as a link between medicine and dentistry can contribute much more to strengthen public health eff orts than it is currently contributing. This branch covers diseases not only related to the teeth, surrounding jaws, joints, and salivary glands but also systemic diseases, their interrelation to oral health and their manifestations in the oral cavity. This vast bank of knowledge can be exploited with integrated oral and general health programs. With the growing burden of non-communicable diseases globally as well as nationally a greater role for the oral physician needs to be carved out. In a threetier health care delivery system the oral physicians could be taken up into the secondary care facilities to diagnose oral cancer, precancers, indications of systemic diseases and management of their oral manifestations, counsel on tobacco cessation, etc. Academics, health care delivery and research are viewed as distinct fragmented structures. Breaking these silos to achieve integrated people-centered care should be our long-term vision. This article delves into each of the silos to examine the gaps and propose some solutions to delineate the optimal role of an oral physician in the complex health care landscape of India.