Dentist's Destiny in Disquieting Oral Cancers: An Indian Scenario

Abstract

Oral cancer is a foremost problem in India where it ranks among the top three types of cancer in the country and is considered an epidemic in recent centuries. Oral cancer is the second most common group of malignancies in males and ranks in the fourth position in females in India. Oral cancers are usually preceded by clinically evident potentially malignant disorders, which can be recognized through oral screening. Early diagnosis and proper management can avert the cancerous potential of the lesion. Although oral cancer rates are alarming, existing situation of dentist in India is devastating. A number of credentials are available in medical literature highlighting the oral cancer rates and problems of dentists in India, but still not much critical steps are taken by the government to improve both situations. Moreover, the oral cavity can reflect and unravel many of the human body's internal ambiguity; in developing country like India, most people do not tend to set the same significance on dental health as they do on their medical health.