The viable private sector helps grow dental healthcare.

Byline: PRO. DR. ASAAD JAVAID MIRZA

In Pakistan, the private sector plays a substantially significant role in dental healthcare through dental education, health delivery and research, contributing to the improvement of oral health and the advancement of knowledge regarding current trends and technology being incorporated in the dental profession globally. The market-driven approach of the private sector leads to competition and innovation that positively influences dental health delivery and education in the country.

In the public sector, till the late 80s, there were merely 4-5 colleges operating in the country, accessible to students for achieving dental education. These colleges could hardly cater 100-120 students annually which was far below the required standards, keeping the ever-increasing population at a very fast rates in view. There was acute shortage of dentists in the country and people had to visit dental quacks for the resolution of their agonising dental problems. For being unqualified, the quacks were found involved in multiple unethical malpractices harmful for the patients.

It was the need of the hour to produce more qualified dentists to eliminate their scarcity in society but number of seats available in public sector colleges were restricted. To accommodate more students, private sector was allowed to open dental colleges; hence in 1991, first private dental college came into existence in Karachi. At present around 35-40 dental colleges are functioning in the 4 provinces of Pakistan, catering to thousands of students. The number of admissions has increased as admission to public dental schools is generally based on merit and performance in the entrance examination. The process can be highly competitive, with a limited number of seats available. Private dental schools have a more diverse range of admission criteria. In addition to merit, some colleges consider other factors such as extracurricular activities, interviews, and recommendations.

The admitted students require teachers for their teaching and training and to become a teacher recognised by regulatory authorities like Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), dental graduates undergo subject specialisation. The number of specialists in various disciplines of dentistry is far higher now than before the inception of private-sector colleges. Hundreds of dental graduates having postgraduate academic qualifications have been...