Dental health insurance is taken very seriously in the western world. However, in India, it is still in its nascent stage with very few insurance companies providing the service.
India has 290 dental colleges, which is about four times the number of dental schools in the US. Thousands of graduates are passed out every year from these colleges. Government jobs are very few for dental graduates and private practice is the only option for most of them. Though dental health is of utmost importance, it is not taken seriously in developing countries like India. The reason behind it is lack of education and lack of money. People rush to dentist only when they have toothache. No one bothers about regular scaling and oral checkups like in the western world. Because of which dentists are not receiving good amount of patients and people are not receiving good oral health care.
Dental Insurance would be a boon for both dental professionals and common population. It will make them more conscious about their oral health and hygiene. People with dental insurance policy would not think before visiting their dentist, reason being they would not have to pay for the treatment. It will increase the patient influx and hence will create a better future for oral health care professionals and help providing better treatment to the population. I hope that Indian government and Dental Council of India (DCI) will work in this direction.
