Upgrading oral hygiene and dental care in rural Nepal is long overdue
KONG YEN LIN
Since having her first phase of crown treatment and dental fillings eight months ago, Chapagaun resident Ani Desar is yet to return to the dentist for a follow up appointment.
"I'll probably wait until it starts hurting again," says the 18-year-old. Desar may lack awareness of prevention, but she is luckier than most rural Nepalis who have no dental care at all.
There are now 500 dentists in Nepal, but nearly 80 per cent of them practise inside Kathmandu's Ring Road. Almost all decay is left untreated, causing tooth loss, speech problems and facial disfigurement. Even in the cities, a root canal can cost Rs 5,000, so most Nepalis would rather suffer in silence.
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