The alarming rise of dental quacks in the country
Stricter regulations and public awareness are urgently needed to prevent the rise of unauthorised dental practitioners in the country
Our teeth are precious and they require regular care, such as going to a dentist.
However, instead of going to a professional dentist with a medical degree, if one resorts to a quack or an unauthorised dental practitioner for their dental or oral problems, it is highly likely that it will do more harm than good.
The increasing number of these quacks is not only causing widespread anxiety among patients but also jeopardising public health in the country.
With thousands of unregistered individuals offering dental services, the risk of improper treatments and the spread of contagious diseases is growing exponentially.
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According to BDS (Bangladesh Dental Society) officials, there are approximately 10,000 licensed dentists in the country. However, a staggering 60,000 unregistered or unauthorised individuals are practising dentistry illegally.
This increase in unqualified practitioners is particularly troubling in rural and remote areas, where access to professional dental care is limited.
The lack of proper regulation and oversight has allowed these impostors to flourish, often providing quick and cheap treatments that attract the uneducated or economically disadvantaged population.
These fake dentists, often referred to as "street dentists" or quacks, use unsanitary tools and lack the necessary knowledge to provide safe dental care.
This situation has led to numerous health complications, including the spread of diseases like AIDS and Hepatitis-B, as well as severe dental damage.
An important challenge faced by graduate dentists, as well as the general population, is street dentistry, a form of quackery practised in the rural and remote parts of Bangladesh.
A quack generally means a fraudulent or ignorant person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications similar to that of a professional dentist.
Their tools often include pliers, screwdrivers, dividers, self-acrylic materials, etc, offering quick-relief treatments at a very low cost.
The wrong use of medicines or no medicines at all can cause severe or long-lasting damage to children, who already have delicate teeth, and pregnant women. Many can lose their teeth permanently.
Sometimes, these quacks provide acrylic dentures that are wire-retained, which they call 'fixed dentures'. These dentures are a significant source of infection and allergic reactions due to constant physical irritation and food accumulation.
Why should quacks be strictly avoided?
The Environment and Social Development Organisation, a non-government organisation working against mercury use, highlights that mercury can harm children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and foetuses by damaging the brain, kidneys, and other organs.
Registered BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) degree holders are educated about the advantages and disadvantages of every material used in dentistry, including mercury, because they study every material used in dentistry.
However, quacks lack this knowledge and they widely use mercury amalgams to treat people.
The possible solutions
There is a great need for documentation of all forms of quackery and malpractice. Awareness programmes should be created to educate the society about the health problems that can arise from going to quacks.
Awareness camps on dental and oral hygiene should be regularly set up to educate people about the severity and outcomes of these health issues.
The role of these quacks in transmitting diseases across populations should be unveiled, and these quacks should be exposed and prosecuted.
Authorities concerned should regularly monitor treatment quality and healthcare provider databases across the country.
Public health experts should also take the initiative to adopt more community-oriented oral health programmes to increase awareness among the rural population. Dental colleges can also establish peripheral centres in rural areas.
Moreover, a compulsory rural posting of around three to six months for dental degree interns could benefit millions of deprived people in rural areas.
Marzuqa Binte Aminullah is a third-year BDS student at Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
