Tripura surpassed WHO recommended dentist-population ratio: CM

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, January 16, 2025

Agartala: Tripura has successfully surpassed the World Health Organization recommended dentist-population ratio and the percentage of dentists in government service here in the state is also higher than that of the national average, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said on Thursday.Dr Saha, who had been widely regarded as one of the best maxillofacial surgeons of Tripura before assuming the top office, also advised the doctors to conduct themselves in a way so that patients look up to them as their ideals.“I am really glad to announce that Tripura has surpassed the WHO recommended Dentist-Population ratio already. As per standards, for 7,500 people one dentist must be there but in our state we have one dentist per 7,000 population. Our track record in government employment for dental surgeons is also higher than the national average. Around 28 percent of the total dentists are in government service while at the national level, only 2 percent of them are in government service. In other states and metro cities, dental surgeons prefer private practice instead of opting for government jobs as they see their medical skill as a means of self reliance,” the Chief Minister added.Advising the doctors to conduct themselves as ideals, Dr Saha said, “The advice we give to our patients should be followed ourselves as well. We tell patients to take care of oral hygiene but don't take care of our own health. This must not be the practice. I can still vividly remember, one my professor during his lectures used to light up cigarettes. One day he was teaching about carcinogenic properties of cigarettes and how it is harmful for the oral cavity but during his lectures he was smoking. This creates a very contradictory impression in the mind of the patient as well as the students. All doctors must be careful about that.” The Chief Minister was speaking at the 23rd Annual Dental Conference of the state. “A state Dental Council is constituted. Efforts are underway to prepare a database of dental surgeons and technicians working across the state,” he added.