QUACKERY A QUANDARY- FATE OF DENTISTRY EVEN IN 21ST CENTURY- CASE SERIES

*Dr. Lakkappa S. Ganiger, Dr. Sanjayagouda B. Patil, Dr. S. Anantha Narayanan and Dr. Ashmi Sebastian

ABSTRACT

Since the services of qualified practitioners are not easily accessible to colossal majority of the population, the gap is bridged by the ubiquitous unqualified practitioner. In many developing countries of the world where dental health‑care facilities are limited, the underprivileged of the society go to unqualified persons (known as quacks) to get dental treatment. This mockery of dental practice imparts unethical dental care to people and results in complications. It is thus a challenge to the dental practitioners to not only fight against this fraudulent of dental quackery but also to educate and convince the patients to distinguish between the quacks and dentists, so that they get guided to take the right treatment. It is incumbent upon dentists everywhere to protect this hard-earned reputation by weeding out quacks from among them. The present article emphasizes on the deleterious practice which the quacks exercise for the replacement of natural teeth.

Keywords: Quackery, Dental Quacks, Street Dentistry, Oral Health.