Nearly 60 per cent of Indian adults suffer from dental decay, yet most still believe they’re doing enough to keep their teeth healthy. Vikas Gupta, a 49-year-old maths teacher from Delhi, was one of them. He prided himself on his dental routine—brushing twice a day with a popular toothpaste, scrubbing hard with a firm-bristled brush, and occasionally using a datun, the traditional Ayurvedic twig. For years, he believed this “extra effort” was the secret to strong, clean teeth—until a sharp, throbbing pain proved otherwise.
“I suddenly experienced severe pain. Never thought I’d need to see a dentist,” Gupta says. His visit revealed a surprising culprit: not sugar or neglect, but over brushing. The harsh scrubbing had worn away his enamel, leading to sensitivity, infection, and eventually, a root canal. The treatment was painful—not just physically, but financially too.
Gupta’s story is far from unique. Dentists across India say they’re seeing a surge in cases like his, driven by aggressive brushing, misuse of whitening toothpastes, and a general lack of awareness about proper oral care. “People think brushing harder means cleaner teeth, but it actually damages the enamel,” says one Delhi-based dentist. As Gupta discovered, oral health isn’t about force—it’s about technique. And sometimes, the smallest habits can leave the deepest marks.
“In India, 50-55 per cent of children and 30-35 per cent of adults suffer from cavities,” says Vikrant Mohanty, head of the Department of Public Health at Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, Delhi. The numbers, he explains, reveal a worrying pattern tied to changing lifestyles and dietary habits. From frequent snacking to ready-to-eat meals, fast-paced urban life is quietly feeding a dental crisis. “Urban lifestyles and frequent consumption of processed and sugar-rich foods add to the burden,” says Mohanty.
The concern isn’t just local. The Global Burden of Disease 2021 lists untreated dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth as the most common health condition worldwide. Nearly 3.7 billion people—about half of humanity—suffer from oral diseases. Tooth decay alone affects 2.5 billion making it the most widespread non-communicable disease on the planet, surpassing even conditions like heart disease and diabetes in prevalence.
And it’s not just the visible sugar that’s to blame. Much of this can be traced back to the modern diet—one that’s loaded with refined carbohydrates, hidden sugars, and ultra-processed foods. “It’s not just the direct sugar which you get from eating candies and sweets. Even a salty potato chip can cause decay—the carbohydrate present gets fermented into sugar.” In other words, the danger lies not only in dessert but in every bite.
The science behind this is deceptively simple. When you consume sugary or starchy foods, tiny particles cling to the surface of your teeth. Oral bacteria then convert these carbohydrates into acid through fermentation. This acid weakens the tooth’s protective enamel by dissolving its mineral structure—a process that, over time, leads to cavities. The chief villain in this story is a bacterium called Streptococcus mutans, which forms a sticky film we know as dental plaque. Left unchecked, this microbial buildup can progress from mild decay to painful infections, and even an eventual tooth loss.
Dentists say the connection between diet and oral health goes beyond cavities. Food choices affect the pH balance of the mouth, the composition of saliva, and the resilience of enamel. Frequent snacking or sipping on sweetened beverages means the mouth doesn’t get enough time to neutralise acids, creating the perfect environment for bacterial growth. “It’s a cycle,” says Mohanty. “And the only way to break it is by maintaining good oral hygiene.”
That, he adds, means going back to the basics: brushing twice a day with the right technique, flossing, using fluoride-based toothpaste, and making regular visits to the dentist. But awareness remains low, even among educated urban Indians. In the end, experts agree, India’s growing dental decay problem, especailly in urban regions, is less about access and more about everyday discipline—and awareness. The “tooth bug,” as Mohanty calls it, thrives on our casual approach to oral care. “It’s an invisible epidemic,” he says, “and unless we start taking our teeth seriously, it’s one we’ll all end up paying for—literally, and painfully.”
Dr Chandradeep Chandra, a dental surgeon based in Delhi, simplifies the core of dental decay. The secret to prevention is surprisingly basic: Brushing the right way. Believe it or not, this global epidemic often starts with something as basic as not knowing how to brush your teeth. “It’s not about the toothpaste, but how you use the brush,” he says.
Brushing twice a day is crucial, but achieving a truly healthy and beautiful smile requires more than just the brush—it demands a comprehensive oral care routine. “It involves adhering to a good diet, staying away from sticky foods, rinsing your mouth post-meal, and investing in a good brush, floss, and a lower-fluoride toothpaste,” explains Chandra. However, these practices are still not part of daily life for most people in India.
Public health dentist Dr CM Marya also believes that poor preventive care is a key factor fuelling India’s ‘silent epidemic’. Many individuals in India view dental treatment as costly or believe it is only necessary when there is pain or an obvious aesthetic concern. He says, “Dental visits are almost always reactive, not proactive. Patients wait until they're experiencing severe pain, bleeding, or pus before seeking help. Essentially, people visit the dentist only for cure, never for prevention.”
As per the Dental Council of India, the country has over 3.7 lakh registered dentists (second highest in the world) and adds roughly 30,000 dentists every year. Moreover, India has an abundance of dentists with the dentist-to-population ratio better than the WHO recommended 1:7,500. However due to disproportionate distribution, severe shortage in rural areas and government hospitals, accessibility still remains a challenge.
We are born with 32 permanent teeth—but lose even one, and the damage can go far beyond your smile. A missing tooth may seem minor, yet it can affect everything from your confidence to your mental health. Dinesh Sharma learned this the hard way.
A trivial fall that chipped his incisor spiralled into a lifelong ordeal. What began as a small break soon turned infectious, forcing him to get the tooth removed. “All the pain and money fades, but the missing piece in my smile remains,” he says. “That visible gap makes me constantly feel conscious and uneasy—whether I’m talking to someone or trying to enjoy a meal in public.”
Sharma tried dental caps and crowns, but nothing worked. As a diabetic, he couldn’t opt for a permanent implant either. Now, he says with a wry smile, “I’ve stopped smiling. That’s the only solution I have.”
Tooth loss—or edentulism—is more than a cosmetic issue. Studies show it can affect aesthetics, speech, nutrition, and even emotional well-being. “People don't understand the cascade effect of losing a single tooth,” warns Mohanty. “It can impact your quality of life—self-esteem, nutrition, and even job opportunities. Most realise it only when it’s too late—and by then, the cost, both emotional and financial, is far higher.”
But beyond dental decay, tooth loss, and limited access to care, dentistry—once seen merely as a matter of hygiene—is now undergoing a transformation in India. The obsession for that Instagram worthy ‘celebrity smile’, coupled with increasing disposable incomes, is driving an unprecedented rise in aesthetic dentistry or orthodontics. From teeth whitening to invisible aligners and cosmetic veneers, India’s dental clinics are buzzing with millennials seeking the perfect smiles. And the numbers back it up. The Indian Dental Association (IDA) estimates that India’s cosmetic dentistry market is growing at 20 per cent annually, with tier-2 cities quickly catching up. Good dental hygiene isn’t just functional anymore—it’s aspirational.
The trend is particularly strong among adults and adolescents has lead to increased demand for both traditional braces and newer, more discreet orthodontic devices like teeth aligners, dental implants and prosthetics, and teeth whitening and veneers among others.
As per the 2023 Kantar IMRB oral care report, nearly 62 per cent of young Indians now consider “aesthetic appearance” a primary reason for visiting a dentist—surpassing even pain-related visits. When 21-year-old engineering student Manan Aggarwal realised that in a year he would be facing employers for his placement interviews, he was determined to change his smile.
Aggarwal suffered from malocclusion—a misalignment of the teeth when the jaw is closed, which can lead to issues like crowding, gaps, overbites, or underbites. His protruding teeth, a reason he smiled less, had already caused a significant dent in his confidence. The added fear of not securing a job placement made addressing the issue an urgent priority. “I wanted to feel good about my smile during my interviews. I chose to go for aligners to feel more confident about myself,” he admits.
Getting his teeth aligned meant constant pain from the aligners, monthly visits to the dentist, and excruciating discomfort during every adjustment. But Aggarwal believes, “It was worth it for a good smile and a successful job placement.” Dentists see this as both a cultural and behavioural shift. “There’s a growing realisation that oral health is tied to self-image and mental well-being,” says Dr Chandra. “A healthy smile boosts confidence, employability, and overall quality of life.”
As India’s relationship with dentistry evolves, the clinic is no longer just a place to fix cavities—it’s a destination for self-transformation. The pursuit of the perfect smile reflects a deeper cultural shift, where health, beauty, and identity intersect. Beyond medical necessity, dental care has become an expression of self-worth and aspiration, whether driven by confidence, careers, or the quest for that picture-perfect grin.