NEW DELHI: On a busy stretch of Qutub Road near Sadar Bazar, a small wooden takhat serves as a dental chair. There is no clinic board or registration desk, only colourful posters displaying bright smiles. Amid the bustle of Old Delhi, customers arrive seeking an inexpensive solution to missing or damaged teeth.
Among them is 52-year-old Narain Kumar, who returned recently to replace his lower teeth after getting his upper incisors fixed at the same spot a decade ago. The price remains unchanged and straightforward—Rs 250 per acrylic tooth, with no consultation fee or paperwork.
The work is carried out by Harinder Singh, 48, who has been operating from the location for nearly four decades. According to him, the skill has been passed down through generations. His grandfather learnt the trade while assisting at a dental clinic and later taught it to his son and grandson.
Harinder recalls that when he started in 1984, there was no shop, only an open drain and a small space to sit.
“Yeh hamara khandani kaam hai,” he said while shaping an artificial tooth before fixing it onto a denture base. “We learnt all this by watching.”
The procedure is simple and quick. Instruments are kept in jars of water, cotton lies on the table, and artificial teeth are fitted manually. Customers can choose between metallic teeth costing Rs 200 each and acrylic teeth priced at Rs 250.
After completing the fitting, Harinder hands over a mirror to the customer. “Tussi kuch vi kha sakde ho… mulli, gajjar… changi tarah dand lag gaye,” he joked, assuring the customer that the dentures were secure enough for everyday use.
Such informal “daant ghar” can still be found in pockets of Old Delhi, including Sadar Bazar, Ballimaran and along Qutub Road. Many are run by Sikh families and cater largely to daily wage earners, rickshaw pullers and small traders who find private dental treatment unaffordable.
The practitioners do not perform procedures such as extractions or root canals and usually direct patients to hospitals for such treatment. One practitioner, who declined to reveal his name, said he occasionally provides a homemade paste for temporary relief from tooth pain or minor infections.
Another practitioner in a lane near Nayi Sadak, Chandni Chowk, said success depended more on experience than equipment. “Clinic wale ilaaj karte hain, hum jugaad se kaam chala dete hain, gareeb aadmi ke liye wahi kaafi hai,” he said, reflecting the role these informal services continue to play for low-income residents seeking affordable dental care.
‘Skill’ passed down across generations
The work is carried out by Harinder Singh, 48, who has been operating from the location for nearly four decades. According to him, the skill has been passed down through generations. His grandfather learnt the trade while assisting at a dental clinic and later taught it to his son and grandson.
Harinder recalls that when he started in 1984, there was no shop, only an open drain and a small space to sit.
“Yeh hamara khandani kaam hai,” he said.
