A genuine smile comes from the heart, but a healthy smile requires a good dentist. So why is dentistry neglected? Why is the government primarily promoting other medical professions and not dental doctors? Why do dental professionals face great inequity in Pakistan? It is disheartening to witness well-educated and experienced dental professionals struggling to secure jobs in a country where the inflation crisis fluctuates day by day.
The Current State:
Pakistan has over 40 dental colleges registered by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), with 31 privately owned and 10 government-run institutions. Fresh dental graduates, after years of rigorous study and hands-on training, often find their promising futures shattered, realizing that their chances of success are now bleak.
Every year, hundreds and thousands of students enroll in dental schools across Pakistan, but job openings for dentists are scarce. Many dentists, unable to leave Pakistan for better opportunities, are compelled to work for years without hope of financial reward. Even those who work for pay receive significantly less than the stipulated minimum salary, contributing to a substantial increase in the unemployment rate each year.
Dental issues are often relegated to a lower priority tier in healthcare, despite the excruciating pain toothaches can cause. Several key reasons contribute to the limited job opportunities for dentists, including a shortage of postgraduate program seats, inadequate government sector positions, insufficient resources to start private practices, and a lack of awareness about dental issues.
Limited seats for postgraduate programs are often allocated based on favoritism, references, or bribes. Another factor limiting opportunities for qualified dentists is the prevalence of quacks operating private dental clinics, which further compounds public ignorance about quackery.
Challenges Faced by Dental Graduates:
Many parents invest their hard-earned money in expensive tuition fees for dental colleges, and graduates enter the “professional life” after four years of study and one year of housework. They have high expectations of finding employment immediately upon receiving their degrees, but unemployment persists due to an imbalance between supply and demand for dental professionals, particularly in rural areas.
Proposed Solutions:
- Balanced Distribution:
Increase job opportunities in rural areas to balance the concentration of dentists in urban and rural regions. - Quality Control:
Dental colleges that do not meet the requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council should be shut down. - Government Jobs:
Create new posts for dental graduates in government hospitals and Primary Health Centers. - Merit-Based Induction:
Ensure that induction for these postgraduates is solely based on merit, eliminating favoritism. - Combat Quackery:
Prioritize eradicating the ‘quack mafia.’ - Public Awareness:
Develop public health programs to provide dental health education, especially in rural areas, to increase oral health awareness. - Eliminate Corruption:
Implement strict measures against corruption, favoritism, and bribery in the dental profession.
If these issues are not addressed promptly and effectively, the challenges faced by dentists can have a detrimental impact on the dental profession in Pakistan. The government must take suitable steps to rectify this situation and secure the future of the young generation. Oral health disparities result from factors beyond our control, and addressing these systemic issues is essential to ensuring equitable access to dental care for all.