Karnataka plans dental council, expands rural oral healthcare

The Karnataka government is preparing to establish a dedicated Dental Council to strengthen oral healthcare delivery across the State, with a special focus on rural communities.

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, addressing the Dentists’ Summit 2025 organised by the Indian Dental Association in Bengaluru, said the new body would operate in alignment with the National Dental Commission and guide the expansion of services to underserved areas. He stressed that while dental science has advanced considerably, access to care outside urban centres remains a major challenge.

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Functioning of Dental Council 

The proposed council is expected to coordinate training, infrastructure and outreach programmes to ensure affordable dental care in villages, where such facilities are scarce. Officials indicated that the plan is part of a wider push to integrate oral health with primary healthcare in the State.

Marking the occasion, the Minister inaugurated a 108-foot tricolour flagpole at Victoria Hospital. The installation, funded by alumni of the 1986 batch to commemorate the hospital’s 125th anniversary, is now the tallest flagpole on any medical college campus in South India and the third tallest at a healthcare institution nationwide, after AIIMS New Delhi and AFMC Pune.

In addition, three modular operation theatres were opened at Vani Vilas Hospital, expanding surgical capacity and patient care facilities. The government stated that such initiatives reflect its commitment to strengthening both dental and general healthcare infrastructure across Karnataka.