Oral health services in developing countries: a case for primary health care approach

ABSTRACT

A lot is being said on integration of Oral Health into the primary health care frame, but most developing countries still follow the traditional western style for delivery of Oral health care. Although most planners are aware of the fact that the western style of oral health care delivery requires heavy commitment of resources, both financial and in terms of manpower, For countries where mortality rates are high, it becomes impractical to pour scarce resources into a sector where the mortality is low. This discussion paper argues how scarce resources can be directed into providing a comprehensive primary oral health coverage to the population. It argues on the use of auxiliaries in such a system and offers practical suggestions for integration of oral health into the primary health care frame