COIMBATORE: The Indian Dental Association (IDA) has decided to adopt a village in the district to provide dental care and counselling to the neglected lot in villages.
The adoption is part of the community service programme of the city branch of the IDA, which will be officially inaugurated by secretary general of IDA Dr Ashok Dhoble here on Sunday.
“Our objective is to reach out to an inaccessible village in the district and help villagers get the needed dental care,” said Dr Jagdeep Raju, secretary of IDA, Coimbatore city, while speaking to Express here on Saturday.
Village adoption is one of the many programmes carried out by the IDA. “In Salem, already a tribal village has been adopted and the tribal people are getting benefited from it,” Jagdeep pointed out.
He added that a similar programme would be carried out here.
According to Dr R Bellie, a senior dental surgeon, “Rather than treating a disease, for a vast country like India, prevention by creating awareness could be best method.” He further said they would distribute pamphlets to the villagers and also conduct special camps for them.
“The field of dentistry is so important that almost all vital diseases are now being identified by the dentists.
People should realise this.
Hence it is necessary on our part to carry out programmes on HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis control, infection control, No tobacco campaign and on oral cancer,” said Dr J Dinakar, treasurer of the association.
IDA also plans to enroll student members and utilise them in creating awareness.
If anyone is required of treatment, the IDA will recommend them to consult the doctors at their clinics or hospitals.