Shitanshu Malhotra

Health education, traditionally and correctly, one of the cornerstones of preventive dentistry, has over the years involved considerable investments of time, energy, personnel and money. However, there has been a burden of justified criticism, due to lack of evidence-based effectiveness. Oral hygiene, however, has consistently been recognized as the staple and inescapable component of preventing gingivitis and also (although, debatably, to a relatively lesser degree) dental caries. India is the sixth biggest country by its area but it is the second most populous country. The developing economy, lack of qualified dental manpower in rural areas and poor awareness towards oral health has contributed for steady raise in the prevalence of caries in the last few decades. Traditionally, health was considered as 'absence of disease' & the implied duty of health professionals was to treat the disease. It was recognized that for the effective strategy against disease in the long term, prevention was the key.