Smartphone applications for oral health promotion in India: Need of the Hour!!

Oral diseases affect half of the world's population and are among the most common and preventable Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2016 study. The WHO Oral Health Programme work plan 2018-20 to reduce the burden of oral diseases consisted of five main pillars, one of which was based on the use of digital technology to improve oral health. Developing countries like India have registered year-on-year growth of 32% in the number of Internet users. India has 525.3 million monthly active internet users aged 5 and above (IAMAI 2019). Nearly 2/3 of the internet population in India are daily users and fall in the 12-29 age group. Internet users will increase to 666.4 million by 2023. In India, numerous medical applications for prominent diseases such as AIDS and Tuberculosis have been developed to improve general health.

In contrast, few initiatives, such as eDantSeva, mCessation, and National Quitline services for oral health, have been undertaken recently. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) cannot be achieved without the support of electronic and mobile health. Mobile applications for oral hygiene promotion hold promise for helping individuals self-regulate their oral health behaviours. Smartphones have become an inevitable part of our lives. It is the need of the hour for our country to utilise digital technology to improve individuals' oral health-related quality of life.

Written By:
Dr. Charu Khurana
Reader
Public Health Dentistry
Faculty of Dental Sciences ,
SGT University, Gurugram