"Why do I have to Clean Teeth Regularly?”: Perceptions and State of Oral and Dental Health in a Low-income Rural Community in Bangladesh

The general perception that dentistry is expensive keeps many people away from seeking treatment from registered professionals and make them hostage to the services of non-registered lay practitioners. In Bangladesh, no statistics on dental health problems or seeking dental healthcare is available which necessitates study for informed planning of a preventive programme. BRAC Research and Evaluation Division carried out a pilot survey in three unions of Gauripur upazila to document the knowledge and awareness and existing oral hygiene practices among the rural people and also, to explore the care-giving practices of the healthcare practitioners - both professionals and non-professionals. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection. [Working paper No. 20]. URL:[http://www.bracresearch.org/workingpapers/red_wp20_new.pdf].