SRINAGAR: There has been a steep rise in the cases of oral and dental diseases in the valley over past few years, official figures reveal.
The Government Dental College Srinagar treated 109980 out-patients in 2012 and doctors conducted 557 major operations while the number of minor operations was 18532, much higher than that in 2011.
Experts believe the steep increase in cases of oral and dental diseases is mainly due to growing use of tobacco related products and also a lack of awareness about oro-dental hygiene.
“We are doing our bit to make people aware. Apart from providing medical treatment and consultation to the patients, college has also organized 145 seminars during the year 2012 to make aware the people about prevention of tooth diseases,” a senior dentist at the college told a local agency, KNS.
“We also published 12 journal clubs and conducted 38 dental camps at different places during that year.”
Principal of the Dental College, Dr Riyaz Ahmad, also said 90 percent of the patients who visited the hospital asked for extraction of their teeth.
But, he said, they always try to avoid the procedure.
“In my opinion tooth pain is intolerable for anyone, but we always try to save their teeth by utilizing different methods of modern technology available in the institute,” he added.
Ahmed also denied allegations that artificial teeth were being implanted by students and not expert doctors.
“It is only experts who perform such activities and we have 15 experts for that. Students cannot do it till they are certified by competent authority,” he said.
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