Copyright 01983 by The Hesperian Foundation
A healthy tooth is a living part of the body. It is connected by ‘life-lines’ of blood and nerve to a person’s heart and brain. To separate the tooth from the body, or even to interrupt those ‘life-lines’, means death to the tooth. It also means pain and injury to the body, to the person. Let us look at it another way. The health of the teeth and gums is related to the health of the whole person, just as the well-being of a
person relates to the health of the entire community. Because of this, the usual separation between dentistry and general health care is neither reasonable nor healthy.
Basic care of the teeth and gums-both preventive and curative-should be part of the ‘know-how’ of
all primary health care workers. Ideally, perhaps, Where There Is No Dentist should be a part of Where There Is No Doctor. Think of it as a companion volume, both to Where There Is No Doctor and Helping Health Workers Learn. Murray Dickson has taken care to write this book in a way that will help the readers see dental care as part of community health and development. The approach is what we call ‘people centered.’ Where There Is No Dentist is a book about what people can do for themselves and each other to care for their gums and teeth.
It is written for:
-Village and neighborhood health workers who want to learn more about dental care as part of a complete community-based approach to health;
-School teachers, mothers, fathers, and anyone concerned with encouraging dental health in their children and their community; and those dentists and dental technicians who are looking for ways to
share their skills, to help people become more self-reliant at lower cost.