Dental Care – A Health Investment

The eleventh Five-Year Plan, from 2007 to 2012, had a proposed budget of 182.09cr for the National Oral Health Care Programme. This programme started as a pilot project in 1999. The focus of this programme has always been generating oral health care awareness.

The strategy has been to generate awareness by educating schoolchildren and the public through information, education and communication tools. India has tackled problems such as oral cancer, oral health of children through awareness programmes.

The per capita consumption of oral products is low in India. Thus, the potential for the oral care market in India is high. The rising incomes and the growing awareness about oral care have augmented the oral products market in India. The Indian per capita income has increased from Rs 18, 885 in 2002-04 to Rs 54,527 in 2011. Thus, the purchasing power of Indians has increased. According to the 2011 figures, 55% of population in India use toothpaste and 15% brush their teeth twice a day. This indicates the Indian oral care market is untapped. The usage of oral care products in rural areas is one third of than urban areas. Some aesthetic aspects of oral care like teeth whitening are yet unexplored in rural India.

We can conclude from the above figures that there is tremendous potential in the oral care market. According to the 2011 figures; out of the Rs 4,200cr market, toothpaste contributes to the 75% of the market. Rural India is less aware of the oral hygiene. They use twigs, ash, neem and herbal products to take care of their teeth.

Dental Care

Along with dental diseases, Indians are getting aware of the cosmetic aspects of dental care like teeth whitening, teeth alignment, bonding, etc. People also opt for lightening the colour of their teeth. However, why would one go in for such a treatment? In the course of time, the teeth colour changes due to accumulation of tartar, or stains of tea and coffee, or smoking. In such cases, you would want to get rid of the stains on your teeth. Thus, people opt for teeth whitening.

A more serious aspect of dental care is gum disease, which according to doctors is a silent killer. The main reason for gum disease is the hormonal imbalance in the body. This is particularly seen in people who are suffering from diabetes and thyroid disease.

The only way to prevent such serious dental diseases is by spreading awareness, which is an imperative for the dental care market.