As a part of its efforts to ensure quality healthcare to rural people, the dental education regulator has asked all dental colleges to set up satellite clinics in remote areas for providing adequate clinical exposure to their students during internship period.

The move follows the Dental Council of India’s recent revision of the Bachelor Dental Sciences (BDS) Course (3rd amendment) Regulations 2011 according to which rendering service in rural areas for three months will be part of the one-year internship that undergraduates have to do after 4-year theory for obtaining the degree.

There are 297 dental colleges across the country but most of the students after degree have confined themselves to the metros to practise, thus depriving the rural people from oral healthcare.

However, the scenario could somewhat change with the DCI recently writing to all dental institutions to set up satellite clinics as per revised curriculum to support a rural outreach dental programme and facilitate the clinical exposure of the interns. The satellite clinics to be set up in the villages are expected to serve population of over two lakhs each.

The three-month rural training in these clinics would ensure dual benefit, feels DCI president D Majumdar. While rural people would get quality dental care, the graduates would be exposed to rural areas. The students would benefit with good clinical material as well, he said.

Last year, under Majumdar, the DCI had reverted to the old curriculum, in practice before 2007, stipulating four years plus one year of internship programme. In 2007, however, much to the discontent of students and teachers, the then DCI management had increased the duration of the course to five years. It also did away with the internship programme.

Noting that oral health of 30 per cent of the urban population is met while about 70 per cent of the rural populace is not properly treated, Majumdar hoped that the three-month rural service will be an advantage to the villagers.

During the rural internship period, as per the revised BDS course, the student will have to participate in community health monitoring programmes and services which include preventive, diagnostic and corrective procedures. This, the DCI feels, will create educational awareness about dental hygiene and diseases and at the same time help conduct oral health education programme in schools, community and among elders.

They will also be asked to participate in lectures to create awareness and education in public forums about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption and the predisposition to oral cancer.