Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41302687›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2025

Unpacking the Oral Healthcare Landscape in India: A Qualitative Inquiry into Strengths, Shortfalls, and Future Directions Through the Lens of Public Health Dentists.

Parul Dasson Bajaj, Ramya Shenoy, Latha Davda, Kundabala Mala, Gagan Bajaj, Ashwini Rao, Navya Karkera, Srinivas Pachava, Mithun Pai, Praveen Jodalli and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Prevent, Promote, PromulgateChildren (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Parul Dasson BajajDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Ramya ShenoyDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Latha DavdaCivilian Dental Surgeon, Ministry of Defense UK and Adjunct Faculty, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Kundabala MalaDepartment of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Gagan BajajDepartment of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Ashwini RaoDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.ORCID 0000-0002-2474-5010
Navya KarkeraDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Srinivas PachavaDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences, Takkellapadu, Guntur 522509, India.ORCID 0000-0001-6386-4998
Mithun PaiDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.
Praveen JodalliDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.ORCID 0000-0002-6243-9823
Avinash Badekkila RamachandraDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India.ORCID 0000-0003-0773-2063

Funding

Manipal Academy of Higher Education Institutional agreement
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The World Health Organization's Bangkok Declaration, 'No health without oral health,' recognizes oral health as a global public health priority. Despite being largely preventable, oral diseases affect nearly half of the global population, and India mirrors this crisis while facing persistent systemic challenges. This qualitative study explores India's oral healthcare landscape from the perspective of public health dentists to inform context-sensitive reforms. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with public health dentists from dental colleges registered with the Dental Council of India, recruited across six regions. Interviews were conducted online via MS Teams using a piloted interview guide and video-recorded with consent. Subsequently, the interviews were transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and qualitative data was analyzed using Atlas.ti, following reflexive thematic analysis. Analysis yielded four main themes: facets of oral health inequalities, dental public health initiatives, strategies to mobilize and optimize dental workforce in rural areas, and recommendations to optimize oral healthcare. This study offers contextually grounded yet globally relevant perspectives on oral health reform. By bridging local insights with international priorities, this study proposes a sustainable, equity-driven framework for transforming oral health systems while laying the foundation for future research and policy action aimed at achieving universal oral health coverage.

Indexed as

DentistsOral HealthAdultFemaleHumansIndiaMalePublic HealthQualitative ResearchIndiaoral healthoral health policiesoral health services accessibilitypublic dental healthqualitative researchuniversal healthcare

Identifiers

PMID41302687
PMCPMC12652812

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.