PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The number of patients with dental problems, have risen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as 504965 cases were reported in 2015 due unchecked quackery and non-availability of specific dental policy besides selling of unsafe fast foods/cold drinks in the province.
The District Health Information annual Report (DHIS) 2015 has revealed that as many as 504965 cases of dental caries were registered at OPD of public sector hospitals in last year. In the first quarter of last year (January-March), a total of 88030 cases were registered against 128020 in 2nd quarter (April-June) and 131991 cases in third quarter (July-September), showing a significant increase of dental caries disease in the province.
The report said dental caries is among the top 10 diseases of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peptic Ulcer, Hypertension, Diarrhea, Urinary Tract Infections, Scabies, Malaria, Acute Respiratory Infections and fever.
The Ist quarter DHIS report 2015 has impressed upon the policy-makers to look into this important human issue and recommended concrete efforts for dental treatment accessible to common people considering hogh cost of private sector.
Dr Tahir Ullah, Incharge Dental and Maxillofacial, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Peshawar told APP on Monday that quackery, non-professional doctors, excessive use of fast foods and poor awareness about dental education were major causes of rise in dental diseases in the province.
“Women and children are most victims of Dental Caries disease as they prefer fast foods and sweet items rather than other segments of the society,” he said.
“This disease is found mostly among patients coming from urban areas owing to use of spicy dishes, soft drinks and food,” he added.
Dr Tahirullah said over 2000 patients were visiting OPD of Lady Reading Hospital’s Dental Section per month and in case of serious implications such as operative dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgeries were referred to Khyber College of Dentistry University of Peshawar.
“A tooth affected by dental caries can be treated if diagnosed at early stage,” he said otherwise it can be removed from its roots to save other teeth and others complications,” he said.
Dr Tahir said patients have to pay about Rs 5000 for RCT in private hospital/clinics against free treatment in government hospitals.
The dental treatment by quacks and non-professional doctors through unsterilized apparatus may lead to extraction of teeth, hepatitis C&B and other blood disorder diseases that needed to be checked, he added.
The dental diseases could be significantly reduced by brushing and cleaning teeth two times (morning and before sleep at night) and avoiding of soft drinks, fast foods and chips etc, he advised.
It is responsibility of the parents to create habits of cleaning of teeth among children and bring their kids to clinic of qualified doctor for medical checkup after every six months, he added.
Dr Tahirullah said time has come to include dentistry in education curriculum at school and college level and involve media about awareness and education of masses about importance of dentistry in the life.
The patients complained that they have to wait for months for their turn at Khyber College of Dentistry for treatment and urged upon PTI government to start two shifts in all dentistry hospitals for examination and treatment of patients besides improvement of facilities in dental departments in DHQ hospital of KPK.
The quacks and non-professional doctors continue to operate in different areas of the province due to absence of concrete and specific dental policy to combat quackery and non professional doctors who are playing with lives of innocent people of the province and charging them very heavily.
The quacks have established their clinics in Khyber Bazaar, Hastnagri and Gulbahar areas and were working with no action by the relevant quarters.
The doctors and health professionals have demanded of PTI government for immediate ban on quackery and formulation of provincial dental policy for betterment of ailing humanity.
Source: APP
