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Dental Manpower in India: changing trends upto 2020 Running title : Dental Manpower in India Title: Dental Manpower in India: changing trends upto 2020 Aim: To analyse the developing trends in the production of dental manpower in India

Authors:

Abstract

Aim: To analyse the developing trends in the production of dental manpower in India. Objectives: To examine the distribution of dental health-workforce distribution, To identify state wise distribution of dentists and the dentist population ratio, To quantitatively evaluate the size of the increasing Indian population and the growth of dentists registered annually and to predict the annual increase in population projections of population & dentists in India upto 2025. Materials and methods: Situational analysis is done by using the primary data obtained from the Dental Council of India, Central Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Census of the Government of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs and data collected from different government sources. Results: In India, the dental education formally began in 1920, when the first dental college was established. Current data reveals that there are 313 dental colleges nationally, with a total of 30,570 student positions offering annually. Of the total number of dental colleges, 84.34% are in private sector whereas 15.65% are in public sector. Majority of dental colleges are concentrated in larger states. The entire Northeast region & union territories like Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have very few dental colleges. Thus, the distribution pattern of dental colleges across various states of India is uneven. The dentist population ratio in 1960’s was 1: 301,000 which has markedly improved to 1:5,015. Conclusion: The present scenario suggests that a coordinated national human resource planning framework is urgently required to monitor the supply and demand of dental manpower, to ensure a consistent manpower delivery and to give policymakers future direction. Keywords: Dentists, Manpower, India, Dental manpower, Colleges, Dental Colleges. Key message: This study provides a systematic framework of dental manpower scenario in India.It is all about dental manpower in India, its development till date. It will help the policymakers to reorganize the existing dental services and plan for the future oral health needs of the country.
Dental Manpower in India: changing trends upto 2020
Running title : Dental Manpower in India
Visha Shailesh Pandya1, Naganandini Sampath2, Roma Yadav3, Amit Vasant Mahuli4,
Jahanvi Kapadiya5, Satyendra Singh6, Pankaj Chaudhary7
1. Pandya Visha S- Post graduate, Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental College &
Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
2. Sampath Naganandini - Professor & Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental
College & Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
3. Yadav Roma - MDS (Public Health Dentistry), Private practitioner, Gurgaon, India
4. Mahuli Amit V- Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, RIMS Dental
Institute, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
5. Kapadiya Jahanvi D- Post graduate, Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental College
& Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
6. Singh Satyendra- Post graduate, Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental College &
Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
7. Pankaj Chaudhary- Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental College &
Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Corresponding Author:
Visha Shailesh Pandya
Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental College & Hospital, NIMS University, Shobha
Nagar, Delhi Jaipur Highway, Jaipur - 303 121, Rajasthan, India
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Title: Dental Manpower in India: changing trends upto 2020
Aim: To analyse the developing trends in the production of dental manpower in India.
Objectives: To examine the distribution of dental health-workforce distribution, To identify state wise
distribution of dentists and the dentist population ratio, To quantitatively evaluate the size of the
increasing Indian population and the growth of dentists registered annually and to predict the annual
increase in population projections of population & dentists in India upto 2025.
Materials and methods: Situational analysis is done by using the primary data obtained from the Dental
Council of India, Central Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Census
of the Government of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs and data collected from different government
sources.
Results: In India, the dental education formally began in 1920, when the first dental college was
established. Current data reveals that there are 313 dental colleges nationally, with a total of 30,570
student positions offering annually. Of the total number of dental colleges, 84.34% are in private sector
whereas 15.65% are in public sector. Majority of dental colleges are concentrated in larger states. The
entire Northeast region & union territories like Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have
very few dental colleges. Thus, the distribution pattern of dental colleges across various states of India
is uneven. The dentist population ratio in 1960’s was 1: 301,000 which has markedly improved to
1:5,015.
Conclusion: The present scenario suggests that a coordinated national human resource planning
framework is urgently required to monitor the supply and demand of dental manpower, to ensure a
consistent manpower delivery and to give policymakers future direction.
Keywords: Dentists, Manpower, India, Dental manpower, Colleges, Dental Colleges.
Key message: This study provides a systematic framework of dental manpower scenario in India.
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INTRODUCTION
The right to health is a fundamental and universal right of all citizens in India, and this right needs to be
respected and realized within a definite time frame.1
India has put its dental education in shape to meet the oral health requirements of this large population.
The number of dental colleges and the number of individuals who have joined the dental profession
have expanded significantly in India, especially in the last 15 years.2
There are 313 dental colleges in India and approximately 33,177 positions available for students to enter
dentistry and 277281 registered dentists. Although the Indian population is rising by 1.31 percent per
year, the number of dentists is rising by around 8% per year.3
Though dentistry is advancing in a multitude of ways, access to care still remains a distant dream for
many people, especially in rural areas. There is huge inequity in providing oral health care services. In
India, 30,570 dentists are created annually. However, it is astonishing to find that just 10% of dentists
serve rural people who make up around 65.1% of the population of the country. 1
In India, the dental workforce has risen over the past 25 years in the absence of any concrete design or
policy planning, resulting in an over-supply of dentists. Few researches have been done to analyze the
effect of these growing dental workforce on the oral health delivery system and on Indians' oral health
status.
The goal of the present study is to estimate the need for dentists in India is to help decision-makers and
policy-makers in India scientifically plan dental workforce training and utilization. The present study
attempts to place the various informations collected from the literature, different government sources,
Dental Council of India, WHO publications etc. and projections are made for 2020. This study was
undertaken to examine the changing patterns in the production of dental manpower in India since 1920
and its growth to date.
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DEMOGRAPHICS
Situated majestically in the Asian subcontinent; India is the largest democracy & the 7th largest country
in the world. It occupies 2.4% of the world's land area & supports over 17.4 % of the world's population.
The demographics of India are remarkably diverse. India is the world's second most populous country
after China with over 1.352 billion people; more than a sixth of the world's population. India's population
growth rate is 1.1 percent. India is a nation with a number of ethnic groups, including geography, history,
religion and languages. It consists of 28 states and 8 union territories.4 The sex ratio at birth is 1.079
male(s)/female(s). The average life expectancy is 69.7 years. Literacy is one of the core pillars of
economic and social development, and in the past 10 years, India's literacy rate has seen a substantial
rise. The rate of literacy is 74.0%. The level of female literacy is 65.5%, while the rate of male literacy
is over 80%. The proportions of urban and rural population in India are 34.9% and 65.1%, respectively.5
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
India's dental practise has come a long way from the ancient civilization of the Indus Valley practiced
in 7000 BC to the era of science and evidence-based dentistry. The method of dentistry practiced in
Indus Valley civilization included curing with hand-operated bow drills for tooth-related disorders. In
ancient medical literature, such as Ayurveda and Sushruta Samhita, treatments of oral cavity diseases
were described and the importance of tongue hygiene was emphasized. In the Sushruta Samhita, various
descriptions of serious periodontal disorder and purulent discharge were reported in 1000 BC. A tooth
worm has been described by a Sumerian text from 5000 BC as the etiology of dental caries. Evidence
of this belief was found in ancient India, Egypt, Japan and China. Charaka stressed tooth brushing by
using neem twigs during the same time. After that, however, dentistry existed in darkness for centuries,
as the Brahmins of ancient India abhorred touching skin, blood and pus.
In the 19th century, the British in India reintroduced scientific dentistry and Dr Raifuddin Ahmed
established the first dental college in Calcutta in 1920. The Nair dental college & Hospital came into
existence in 1933 in Bombay. In 1938 the Govt. Dental college; Bombay, was started. In this era, dental
education was provided in government colleges only and there were no private colleges.6
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CURRENT SCENARIO
Currently in India, there are 313 dental colleges in the country out of which 264 are privately owned
and only 49 are run by the government. Presently, 84.34 percent of India's dental colleges are private
colleges. The number of government-aided colleges has far surpassed the growth of private dental
colleges.7 According to the WHO ideal Dentist-population ratio is 1:7500. India had one dentist in urban
areas per 10,000 people in 2004 and one dentist in rural areas per 2.5 lakh people.8 According to World
Health Statistics 2014, the ratio is 1:10,000.8 As per the NHP profile 2018, the dentist population ratio
is 1:10,271.9 The ratio, however, shows that there are still not enough dentists in India, but it is not the
sole explanation, there is one more aspect that cannot be ignored in the distribution of dentists is
inequality. In rural areas, the dentist population ratio is much smaller than in urban areas. The dentist
to population ratio in rural areas varies from 1:30,000-1:1, 00,000 the majority of developed urban areas,
the average ratio is 1:4,000. By incorporating dentists into the primary health care system may be one
possible way to balance rural-urban disparities.10
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM- PUBLIC
Health-care delivery system of India consists of both public and private health-care setups. The primary
health services offered by primary health centers, secondary care by community health centers, and
tertiary care by referral and super specialty hospitals have been grouped into public health care. Dental
health care in most public health care environments is not combined with general health care. Dental
care is given at the level of primary health care but not fully; however, it is provided at the secondary
level to some degree and often at tertiary care centers. Many public dental health care facilities are
poorly designed, under-staffed and dental care is not a priority of budget allocations; all of these
variables cause individuals to pursue private dental care.11
India's primary health system has a large network of health centers and manpower. As on March 31,
2017, there were 1,56,231 SCs (subcentres), 25,650 PHCs (primary health centres) and 5,624 CHCs
(community health centres). There are 2,12,185 healthcare workers at subcentres & PHCs. 27,421
doctors at the PHCs & 17,154 laboratory technicians at the PHCs and CHCs. Despite of the significant
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increase in health infrastructure there are no dentists sanctioned or postioned in SDHs of Jammu &
Kashmir, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman & Diu,
Andaman Nicobar Islands and Nagaland.12
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM- PRIVATE
Health care delivery in private sector is provided by dental colleges, dental hospitals & dental clinics.
The health care delivery is predominantly the responsibility of state and national governments, but
sinking funds, heavy workload, shortage of services, and elevated absenteeism emerge as roadblocks
impeding the efforts of the government. In comparison, in India, it is perceived that the private sector is
easily available, better run and more effective.11 The current health spending level is noticed to be very
low at 1.28 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is significantly lower than the global
average of five per cent of GDP.7
While India has been experimenting with the private healthcare delivery market since independence,
from the above analysis it can be concluded that the current scenario of dental education and practice in
India has some serious limitations which need to be sorted out to meet the oral healthcare needs of the
population.
MATERIALS & METHODS
Search Strategy
PubMed (using medical subject headings) database was searched in the English language by using the
following combinations of keywords: ‘dental education’, ‘dental colleges’, ‘dentist: population ratio’,
‘dental council of India’, ‘dental manpower India’, ‘dental workforce India’ and ‘oral workforce India’.
Other articles were identified from the reference lists of the articles, as well as from early online articles.
The data from the identified studies were collected and reviewed.
This study is a cross sectional study. All data used in this study were collected from the following
sources:
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This analysis was based on consultation of data available from public Indian agencies, including the
Dental Council of India3. Central Intelligence Agency5, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare13,
the Census of the Government of India14, the Ministry of Home Affairs15
The baseline data on the estimates of the current dental manpower was obtained from the All India
Dentists Register maintained by the Dental Council of India, New Delhi. This register includes all
graduates & practicing dentists, belonging A & B category & dental auxiliaries in all the states where
registration & renewal is done by the State Dental Council.
Data regarding the dental health service delivery systems in armed forces personnel were also collected
from the official website of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 15
The other relevant information was collected from:
a.) World Health Organization.
b.) Head office of Ministry of Health & Family welfare, New Delhi.
c.) Different government sources9,12
d.) State Nodal officers from National Oral Health Programme.
The actual population data of the year 2019 was collected from the official website of Government of
India.16 Regarding the population projection for India for the year 2020, the population estimate in
census year 2011 was taken as the population base for the estimation of population for India.17 The
population estimate for the current year is nearly 2019. The present growth rate is 0.8-1% per year. The
estimates are based on the premise that, at the current stage, the growth rate will continue.
Based on the available data an analysis of the dentist-population ratio for the year 2019 is made & other
measures to meet the dental care demands are also suggested.
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RESULTS
DENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE PRODUCTION
TRENDS IN GROWTH OF DENTAL COLLEGES
In the 19th century, in India, the British reintroduced scientific dentistry. Following this time, there was
expansion in the growth of private dental colleges, leading to the current situation. The growth in the
government and private sectors, however, was not uniform. Figure 1 shows the trends in growth of
dental colleges in India from 1947 to 2019. The figure shows that there was an increase of 80 dental
colleges from 1973- 98. During the year 1998-2002 there was an increase of 50 dental colleges. From
2002-03, an increase of 40 dental colleges was seen. From 2005, a continuous rise in the increase of
dental colleges was seen and after that period led to mushrooming of dental colleges.
Figure 2 shows that the current data shows that there are 313 dental colleges in India. Only 15.65% of
the dental colleges are now government-owned (49 dental colleges) and the remainder are in the private
sector (264 dental colleges). The growing private sector also has the potential of influencing inequalities
in access to oral health care in India.12
In India, as per DCI, there are a total of 313 dental colleges. Among them there are 49 UG government
& 264 UG private dental colleges. There are 36 PG government dental colleges & 216 PG private dental
colleges. Maximum dental colleges are present in Karnataka (47) followed by Maharashtra (38), Tamil
Nadu (29) and Uttar Pradesh (27) whereas states like Assam, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Goa and
Manipur have very few dental colleges. 3
There are 54 dental colleges in the country that offer 713 seats annually for the Diploma course in Dental
Hygienists; 90 dental colleges that offer 1201 seats annually for the Diploma course in Dental Mechanic;
and 25 dental colleges that offer 255 seats annually for the Diploma course in Dental Operating Room
Assistant. There are 3515 registered Dental Hygienists and 3090 registered Dental technicians. 18
The number of dental colleges & admissions to BDS & MDS has shown an increasing trend. However,
the number of admissions into BDS & MDS had decreased in the year 2018-2019 (Table 1).
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TRENDS IN GROWTH OF REGISTERED DENTISTS
A sudden upward trend in the number of dentists registered was observed in 2000-01. There was a
growth of 8,099 dentists during the period. Again, in the year 2004-05 an increase in the number of
dentists registered was seen. The growth was almost double as compared with the previous years. A
total of 16,077 increase of registered dentists was seen. However, a drastic increase was noted during
the year 2015-2016. 41,343 increase in the number of dentists registered was seen which was almost 5
times increase compared with earlier years. This number has risen steadily and current data shows that
there are 2,77,281 registered dentists serving the population's oral health needs. In India, the growth in
the number of dentists is around 8 % per year (Figure 3).
State-wise distribution of dentists stated that states like Karnataka followed by Maharashtra and
TamilNadu had a majority of dentists in the year 2008. However, in the year 2019 majority of dentists
were present in Karnataka followed by Maharashtra (Table 2).
DENTIST TO POPULATION RATIO
The dentist-to-population ratio increased markedly from 1:301,000 in the 1960s to 1:10,271 in 2014. In
the distribution of dentists across different states, however, there is significant variation. The dentist
population ratio calculated using the actual population and dentists registered in 2019 suggests that in
India the dentist to population ratio is 1:5,015.
States like Delhi (1:1,205), Goa (1:1,385), Karnataka (1:1,523) and Andhra Pradesh (1:2,500) have
dentist to population ratios in the range of 1:1200- 1:2500.
Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Tamil Nadu have dentist to
population ratios in the range of 1:3,000- 1:4,000.
Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh have dentist to
population ratios in the range of 1:5,000 to 1:10,000.
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Sikkim, West Bengal, Puducherry, Tripura and Orissa have
dentist to population ratio in the range of 1:12,000 to 1:25,000.
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States like Jharkhand (1:2,59,821) and Meghalaya (1:67,759) require dental workforce distribution
(Table 3).
CURRENT SITUATION AND FUTURE PROJECTION OF THE NUMBER OF DENTISTS
The WHO recommended dentist to population ratio for developing countries as 1:7,500.
The number of dentists being registered annually have shown an increasing trend. A drastic increase
was noted during the year 2015-2016. 41,343 increase in the number of registered dentists was seen
which was almost 5 times increase compared with earlier years.
With around 40,000- 50,000 rise in the dentists earlier the number has come to 20,000. Currently, a
continuous rise in the increase of registered dentists is seen (Table 4).
There has been a major improvement in the dentist population ratio. The total number of dentists
registered by the end of 2019 is 2,77,281 and the dentist-to-population ratio is 1:5,015, according to the
Dental Council of India.
In earlier research, with a population rise of 1.31% per year, the growth in the number of dentists was
around 8 % per year. 2
Currently, the Indian population is increasing around 0.8 -1% per year, the growth in the number of
dentists is about 5% annually.
With about 15,000 rise in the population annually and 20,000 increasing dentists, the projections for the
year 2020-2025 are made (Table 5).
DISCUSSION
India consists of 28 states and eight union territories. 4 The first autonomous dental college in India was
established in 1920, and the first private dental college started in 1966. 19
Results from the present study shows that there are 313 dental colleges, with the majority of them being
private dental colleges (84.34%) and a total admission capacity of 33,177 students. 3
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However, what is concerning is that majority of dental colleges are concentrated in only five large states
(Karnataka, Maharashtra, TamilNadu, Uttar Pradesh & Kerala). The results clearly indicate that for the
whole NorthEast region, seven states (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and
Tripura) and two union territories (Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep) there are only six
dental colleges (four in Assam and two in Manipur). These findings show an imbalance in the location
of dental colleges. Considering there are only six dental colleges in the entire northeastern region, in the
long term there will not be enough dentists to provide oral health care in these regions. These results
shows that the population to dental seat metric was skewed significantly in favour of states with
relatively higher health index and human development index.
Although the Indian population is rising by about 0.8-1 percent per year, the number of dentists is
growing by about 5% per year. In Brazil and China, a similar situation exists. The number of dentists
increases by 7% annually in Brazil, while the population increases by 1.89% per year. The population
is increasing by just 0.9% in China, whereas the number of dentists is rising by 4% annually.2 With
2,77,281 registered dentists currently registered in the country, there has been a substantial rise in the
number of dentists over the last decade. Although this number is lower when measured according to the
dentist-to-population ratio recommended by the WHO for developing countries (1:7,500), there is no
increase in the accessibility of rural people to oral health care, nor is it easy for graduate dentists to
survive in the profession. The reasons for this phenomenon are both the absence of perceived public
oral health needs, especially in rural areas, and the unavailability of oral health services. To ensure
equity in physical access to oral health care, the distribution of dental practitioners across geographical
regions is also important.
The dentist/population ratio in India clearly shows that the availability of dentists in India is a significant
rural and urban divide as the dentist-to-population ratio in rural areas is 1:250,000. 6 This disparity is
especially pronounced in India's rural areas where nearly 69% of the total population resides.20 Similar
distributions are also shown by other countries. The dentist-to-population ratio was stated to be 1:874
in Brazil, but the dentists distribution was unequal, with average dentist-to-population ratios in the
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northern region of 1:3,666 and in the south-eastern region of 1:800. The dental practice status is
similar in Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. The dentists integration into the primary healthcare system may
be one possible way of balancing rural-urban disparities. 2
When India became independent in 1947 there were just two colleges for a population of 350 million.
In the next 25 years, there has been a 10-fold rise, and India currently has nearly 313 dental colleges
with a population of 1.35 billion and more than 33,177 new students enrolling for dental graduation
programs every year. 3 Of the over 2.7 lakh dentists registered with the Dental Council of India (DCI),
the government employs just 7,239 dentists, or only 2.7 percent, according to the National Health Profile
(NHP) 2018. Therefore, the average population served by a dentist employed by the government is 1.76
lakh, compared to approximately 11,082 individuals per government doctor. 7
There will be a massive oversupply of dentists in the next 10 years; the country will have a surplus of
over 100,000 dentists. Moreover, the increase in the number of dentists in India exceeds the rate of
population growth by more than three times. Even if India joins the group of developed countries by
2020, where the dentist-to-population ratio recommended is 1:5,000, the total number of needed dentists
will be 265,218 and more than 50,000 dentists will still be over-supplied. Poor manpower planning,
dependency on inaccurate figures, mushrooming of dental colleges and inadequate regulatory bodies
are the rationale for such an excess supply of dentists. 11 A market-based estimate of dental manpower
needs in India indicates that one dentist will be adequate for every 13,239 individuals, and this number
increases to 18,738 individuals when the assessment was made on the basis of successful demand.
However, the regional distribution of the services is not considered in these projections. The solution to
improving the oral health status of improving the rural Indian population does not lie in raising the
absolute number of available dentists, but in ensuring an equal distribution of the current dental
workforce. 1
Workforce planning is an important element in the planning of future arrangements for health services.
21 The use of GIS mapping has become a potential tool in manpower planning. A SWOT analysis of
India’s manpower preparation revealed the need for an efficient manpower planning mechanism with
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equitable dentists' distribution in rural and urban areas. Hence, it can be concluded that these
mechanisms helped us to identify the existing lacunae in India’s dental manpower planning and
addressed the need for an efficient planning mechanism.22
New organizational systems are needed to support the education and training of dental professionals
with the advancement of an ever-increasing variety of new treatments, procedures, and devices. A
competence-based dental program will provide effective and efficient education in both the art and
science of dentistry for potential dentists, which will help them represent their community in a more
systematic and holistic way. Thus, dental education must reflect the changing role of the future dentist.
21
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The dental industry holds enormous promise in developing countries. With concerted efforts by
governments and policymakers, we could not only see an improvement in the oral health status of the
rural population, but also ensure a stable career for the graduating dentists. There are a lot of barriers
for equitable access to oral health care in India that have to be addressed. There is a
geographic imbalance that needs to be rectified in the distribution of dental workforce. This research
directly states governments and policymakers. It will help address the issue of reorganization of dental
services in rural and urban areas of India. The barriers in utilization of oral health services can be solved
thereby leading an improvement in the oral health status of the population. This research will be a
guiding pathway not only to the Indian scenario but other countries of the World can adapt it and
practice.
In the future, dental colleges should be opened in areas identified to be disadvantaged in terms of health
in order to improve access to oral health care for all populations in need. The availability of PHC dentists
to cater to the rural population's oral health needs is the key. The government can provide incentives to
those establishing practice in rural areas by providing space for the set-up of dental clinics at a subsidized
rate. Further, to provide efficient healthcare at the PHC level, availability of dental materials and
equipments should be improved. In order to keep them in their country of origin, young dentists should
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be given an intellectually stimulating environment for professional enrichment, profitable working
conditions and paths for career growth. To ensure a consistent allocation of manpower and to give
policy makers future directions, an organized national human resource planning system is necessary.
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7. Yadav S, Rawal G. The current status of dental graduates in India. Pan Afr Med J 2016 ;23:22.
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https://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2019/en/ last assessed on 12-08-
2019
9. National Health Profile-2018.
http://www.cbhidghs.nic.in/Ebook/National%20Health%20Profile-2018%20(e-
Book)/files/assets/common/downloads/files/NHP%202018.pdf last assessed on 15-07-2019
10. Gambhir RS, Brar P, Singh G, Sofat A, Kakar H. Utilization of dental care: An Indian outlook.
J nat sci biol med. 2013 Jul;4(2):292. 20. Int d J 2014 Apr;64(2):62-7.
11. Vundavalli S. Dental manpower planning in India: current scenario and future projections for
the year 2020. Int dent J 2014 Apr;64(2):62-7.
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12. Rural Health Statistics-2015. https://data.gov.in/catalog/rural-health-statistics-
2018?filters%5Bfield_catalog_reference%5D=6680151&format=json&offset=0&limit=6&sort
%5Bcreated%5D=desc [last assessed on 15-12-2019].
13. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. https://mohfw.gov.in/ [last
accessed on 15-09-2019].
14. Government of India. India Census. https://censusindia.gov.in/ [last accessed on 12-08-2019].
15. Government of India. Ministry of Home Affairs. https://mha.gov.in/ [last accessed on 15-06-
2019].
16. Government of India. https://uidai.gov.in/images/state-wise-aadhaar-saturation.pdf [last
assessed on 26-02-2020].
17. Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections November 2019, National Commission
on Population, O/o Registrar General.
https://nhm.gov.in/New_Updates_2018/Report_Population_Projection_2019.pdf last accessed
on 26-02-2020
18. National Oral Health Policy- 2017.
19. Elangovan S, Allareddy V, Singh F, Taneja P, Karimbux N. Indian dental education in the new
millennium: challenges and opportunities. J Dent Educ 2010 Sep1;74(9):1011-6.
20. Allareddy V. Concentration of Undergraduate Dental College Admissions in Areas with High
Health and Human Development in India. J dent educ 2015 Mar 1;79(3):301-11.
21. Parkash H, Mathur VP, Duggal R, Jhuraney B. Dental workforce issues: a global concern. J Dent
Educ 2006 Nov1;70(11 suppl):22-6.
22. Raghunathan D, Vadavi D, Harikiran AG. DENTAL MANPOWER PLANNING
MECHANISMS-GLOBAL SCENARIO; A SCOPING.
Figures
Fig 1: Trends in growth of dental colleges in India.9
Fig 2: The changing ratio in government & private dental colleges in India (1920- 2020).2
Fig 3: Trends in growth of registered dentists from 1994- 2020.9
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Tables
Table 1: Number of Dental Colleges & Admissions to BDS and MDS Courses in India from 1994-95 to
2019-20.9
Table 2: State-wise distribution of dentists 2008 20199
Table 3: State wise Dentist- Population ratio of India- 20199,23
Table 4: Dentist Population ratio from 2011- 2018.24
Table 5: Annual increase in population projections of population & dentists (2020 2025).17
Fig 1: Trends in growth of dental colleges in India.9
Fig 2: The changing ratio in government & private dental colleges in India (1920- 2020).2
315
95
145
185 205
240
294 301 313
1947 1973 1998 2002 2003 2005 2007 2012 2014 2020
Trends in increase of numbers of
dental colleges in India.
DENTAL COLLEGES
100 100 93 77 44 22 15 14 15.65
0 0
93
77
44
22 15 14
84.34
PERCENTAGE
1920 1950 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2014 2020
The changing ratio in Govt. & Private
dental colleges
Private colleges
Govt. colleges
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Fig 3: Trends in growth of registered dentists from 1994- 2020.9
2,77,282
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
DENTISTS
94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Trends in growth of registered dentists
Registered
dentists
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Sr. No.
YEAR
MDS
No. of Dental Colleges
No. of
Admission
No. of Dental Colleges
No. of
Admission
1
1994-95
77
1987
32
225
2
1995-96
94
2562
32
263
3
1996-97
100
2859
35
301
4
1997-98
100
3301
37
427
5
1998-99
110
6100
41
729
6
1999-00
121
7100
44
801
7
2000-01
135
8340
49
859
8
2001-02
149
9550
52
922
9
2002-03
164
10970
56
992
10
2003-04
181
12960
58
1106
11
2004-05
185
400
61
1173
12
2005-06
205
15440
67
1298
13
2006-07
238
18120
87
1764
14
2007-08
267
20910
104
2069
15
2008-09
282
22650
122
2365
16
2009-10
290
23570
140
2643
17
2010-11
288
23330
148
2833
18
2011-12
291
23870
168
3418
19
2012-13
297
24640
196
4594
20
2013-14
301
25320
205
5029
21
2014-15
305
26240
224
5505
22
2015-16
308
26530
240
5866
23
2016-17
309
26790
242
6019
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24
2017-18
313
27060
249
6233
25
2018-19
313
23321
252
5470
26
2019-20
313
24179
259
5514
Table 1: Number of Dental Colleges & Admissions to BDS and MDS Courses in India from 1994-
95 to 2019-20.9
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S.
No.
State/UT
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2019
1
Andhra
Pradesh
6457
6510
6510
6510
6510
1337
2
1337
2
1337
2
1337
2
1998
6
21355
2
Arunachal
Pradesh
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
95
95
121
159
159
266
3
Assam
805
944
1213
1213
1036
1375
1375
1375
1804
2286
2762
4
Bihar
2807
2807
2807
2807
2807
3987
3987
3987
3987
8597
8595
5
Chhattisgarh
194
407
498
847
1199
1463
1463
1463
1463
236
3826
6
Goa
661
687
699
699
747
847
847
847
922
139
1129
7
Gujarat
1745
2684
2684
2684
2684
4648
7237
7237
1051
5
1239
1
15011
8
Haryana
1358
1740
1740
1740
1740
5232
5232
5232
7645
1160
2
8836
9
Himachal
Pradesh
662
772
772
772
772
1628
1784
1784
2585
2740
2443
10
Jammu &
Kashmir
1090
1090
1090
1090
1090
1910
1910
1910
1910
1973
4127
10
Jharkhand
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
99
351
470
146
11
Karnataka
2369
9
2561
2
2775
0
2957
9
2957
9
3295
1
3295
1
3476
8
3752
8
4160
2
43876
12
Kerala
5918
6655
6655
6655
6655
1090
5
1101
6
1101
6
1101
6
1957
9
19721
13
Madhya
Pradesh
1776
2002
2507
3206
3206
4408
4408
4408
7182
7950
8016
14
Maharashtra
1663
6
1815
9
1815
9
1815
9
1815
9
1318
7
1317
4
1318
7
3493
9
3545
8
40470
15
Manipur
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
284
520
520
16
Odisha
432
537
537
289
289
896
896
896
896
1907
2027
17
Punjab
4691
6996
6996
6884
6884
1142
2
1237
5
1237
5
1440
9
1558
1
15647
18
Rajasthan
364
364
364
364
1878
2935
4243
4243
5502
6108
6606
19
Tamil Nadu
1032
4
1138
5
1447
5
1447
5
1369
2
1350
4
1547
8
1547
8
1547
8
2051
4
22790
20
Telangana
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
90
NR
21
Tripura*
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
96
185
22
Uttar Pradesh
5572
5572
8152
9441
1093
6
8784
8784
8784
1117
2
1918
5
18967
23
Uttarakhand
NA
451
451
657
657
951
951
951
951
579
1124
24
West Bengal
1825
2054
2809
3120
3120
3965
3965
3965
4719
5413
5990
25
Chandigarh
596
671
675
675
826
873
891
891
943
943
NR
26
Delhi
5720
6280
6280
6280
6280
7642
7642
7642
7642
1439
0
15346
27
Puducherry
NR
224
224
224
151
179
360
360
360
713
64
Total
9333
2
1046
03
1140
47
1183
70
1208
97
1471
59
1544
36
1563
91
1977
34
2512
07
26699
40
Table 2: State-wise distribution of dentists 2008 20199
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Sr. No
STATE/UT
TOTAL
PART A
PART B
Dentists
Dentist-
Population
Ratio
1
Andhra Pradesh
53390841
21355
NR
21355
2,500
2
Arunachal
Pradesh
1548776
266
NR
266
5,822
3
Assam
35080827
2737
25
2762
12,701
4
Bihar
122256981
8595
NR
8595
14,224
5
Chhattisgarh
28989789
3826
NR
3826
7577
6
Goa
1564349
1129
NR
1129
1,385
7
Gujarat
64801901
15011
NR
15011
4,316
8
Haryana
27793351
8836
NR
8836
3,145
9
Himachal
Pradesh
7384022
2441
2
2443
3,022
10
Jammu &
Kashmir
13468313
4029
98
4127
3,263
11
Jharkhand
37933898
146
NR
146
259,821
12
Karnataka
66834193
43876
NR
43876
1,523
13
Kerala
35461849
19387
334
19721
1,798
14
Madhya Pradesh
83849671
8016
NR
8016
10,460
15
Maharashtra
121924973
40457
13
40470
3,012
16
Manipur
3048861
520
NR
520
5,863
17
Meghalaya
3320226
49
NR
49
67,759
18
Mizoram
1222134
NR
NR
NR
-
19
Nagaland
2218634
NR
NR
NR
-
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20
Orissa
45861035
2027
31
2027
22,625
21
Punjab
15610
37
15647
-
22
Rajasthan
79584255
6593
13
6606
12,047
23
Sikkim
680721
46
NR
46
14,798
24
Tamil Nadu
77177540
22774
16
22790
3,386
25
Tripura
4112223
185
NR
185
22,228
26
Uttarakhand
11140566
1124
NR
1124
9,911
27
Uttar Pradesh
233378519
NR
NR
18967
12,304
28
West Bengal
98662146
5668
322
5990
16,471
29
A & N Islands
411278
NR
NR
NR
-
30
Chandigarh
1142479
NR
NR
NR
-
31
D & N Haveli
384058
NR
NR
NR
-
32
Daman Diu
223165
NR
NR
NR
-
33
Delhi
18498192
15322
24
15346
1,205
34
Lakshadweep
72172
NR
NR
NR
-
35
Puducherry
1394026
NR
64
64
21,781
INDIA
1353890423
250025
979
2,69,940
5,015
Table 3: State wise Dentist- Population ratio of India- 20199,16
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Sr.
No.
YEAR
POPULATION
DENTISTS
DENTIST
POPULATION
RATIO
1.
2011
1210569573
118370
10,226
2.
2012
1220000000
120897
10,091
3.
2013
1235000000
147159
8,392
4.
2014
1251000000
154436
8,100
5.
2015
1267000000
156391
8,101
6.
2016
1283000000
197734
6,488
7.
2017
1299000000
251207
5,171
8.
2018
1316000000
255000
5,160
Table 4: Dentist Population ratio from 2011- 2018.24
YEAR
POPULATION
PROJECTIONS
DENTISTS
PROJECTIONS
2020
13,47,121
2,89,940
2021
13,61,343
3,09,940
2022
13,73,761
3,29,940
2023
13,86,180
3,49,940
2024
13,98,598
3,69,940
2025
14,11,016
3,89,940
Table 5: Annual increase in population projections of population & dentists (2020 2025).17
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Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections
17. Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections November 2019, National Commission on Population, O/o Registrar General.