A three-day State-level conference of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) was inaugurated by Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Saturday.
During the meeting, IDA members urged the State government to provide them resources like dental chairs so that they can extend their services to villages.
Principals of colleges, deans, practitioners, academicians, post-graduate and under-graduate students attended the conference, where over 20 experts shared inputs and updates in dental research, science and technology.
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Lack of data on dental problems among people was pointed out by State president of IDA S. Jagadeeswara Rao. He said that dentists were well-equipped to conduct mass oral health screening programmes to detect diseases like oral cancer in its early stages.
Mr. Rajender said that there was a need to extend dental services in rural areas.
Vice-Chancellor of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences B. Karunakar Reddy asked the members of the association to collaborate with other organisations or clubs to generate awareness among people about dental problems and their solutions.
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“IDA should take steps in educating post-graduate students by conducting day-long Continuous Medical Education (CME) programmes,” Dr. Reddy said, adding that stalwarts could be invited for the purpose to conduct the programmes at private dental colleges.
Pointing out lack of extensive research in colleges and universities, he said it needed to improve.