Recently, a Karachi Press Club staffer had his entire set of 32 teeth removed all at once. He said, only one tooth was troubling him but he decided to get rid of the whole lot. Why? His theory was on the lines of "One rotten apple spoils the lot".
This reminded me of my paternal grandfather who had done the same thing. As a child, whenever I heard this story of grandfather's teeth, I believed only a naive villager could do such a strange thing. But this man is very sane.
It turns out, in the days of my grandfather he was not the only person to have all 32 teeth removed. The practice was quite common because of a dental disease called pyorrhea in which there is a discharge of pus from the gums or tooth sockets. The age of antibiotics had not dawned and a person suffering from this disease could die.
Tooth removal was the only life-saving treatment, if you can call it treatment.
My maternal grandfather was from a class known as "kala Ungrez" black English. He used a toothbrush and died with all his teeth intact.
So many old men of the time wore dentures that people at Nana's funeral said "Remove Sheikh sahib's dentures." They could not believe his teeth were natural. Dentures were always removed from a deceased person's mouth because, (you guessed it) it was haram to leave something artificial in a dead body. I wonder what happened to steel rods in fractured limbs, or what if pacemakers had been in vogue, would they operate and remove these things?
But this superstition still persists. I told the KPC staffer he should get tooth implants, at least of the molars so he could properly chew his food. He was horrified. He said he would never have implants because when he died they would remain in his gums. It is haram to have implants, he said.
Has the Pakistan Dental Association heard such stories? May be not, or may by they just turn a blind eye to avoid criticism from the fanatics. Dentistry is a modern profession. Dentist promote brushing teeth with a toothbrush and the use of toothpaste. Several brands of toothbrushes and toothpastes are advertised, always featuring a doctor who recommends the product.
How many Pakistanis buy these products, more to the point, how many can afford to buy? Oral health is an integral part of general health and a basic human right, but there are no viable public health programmes.
Diagnosis is necessary for treatment as well as preventing dental problems. But how many people regularly visit the dentist, and how many get proper treatment?
My guess is one percent of the population of 180 million souls. Only when the pain is unbearable do people see a dentist. A lot of people, even in the city, prefer to go to the wayside quack.
The reason is affordability. The majority cannot afford regular visit for check up. The attitude is, why bother when there is no problem, why pay for nothing. Diabetes disorder is common in the country; the care of teeth is essential for diabetes patients. It is never advertised. You may hear about it in talks, seminars and dental literatures but there is no public service advertisement informing diabetes patients about diabetes-related dental problems.
Poor general health is said to be a cause for crooked or malformed teeth in children. But corrective procedure is very expensive. Even the middle-class cannot afford to have their children's teeth put in order. Braces cost so much they can wipe out a person's life savings.
Dentistry, I am sorry to say, is a business, not a medical profession. Have you ever heard dentist discuss how to make dental care possible and affordable. Never. Perhaps that KPC staffer is right, after all. It is cheaper to get rid of all the teeth at once, instead of a lifetime of trips to the dentist.
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