Feminization of dentistry" in Pakistan is clearly visible in the gender distribution of an average dental class that boasts of 70% -80% female students. Yet after graduation, many of these women choose not to pursue their careers, resulting in a void of practicing dentists in the country, despite an exponential increase in private sector dental colleges. This phenomenological designed qualitative study aimed to investigate the reasons behind this dynamic. Fourteen in-depth interviews' and two focus groups' discussion from a rich and diverse sample of 20 purposively selected working and non-working, younger and older women dentists from the cities of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Abbottabad obtained data to achieve saturation. All interviews were audio recorded with consent, transcribed verbatim, transcripts analyzed and coded into themes and sub-themes. Respondent validation and investigator triangulation ensured validity and credibility of findings. The core finding is that a support system is an essential pre-requisite facilitating a woman dentist to pursue her career; the primary driver for this support is "economic need". This core factor circuitously interlinks three peripheral themes, which are 1) traditional gender roles dominate, restricting women dentists from pursuance of career, especially if they have a strong economic base; 2) becoming a dentist enhances social capital and lucrative marriage prospects, lending to the concept of "doctor brides" which becomes a prime reason for choosing this education. Practicing the profession becomes secondary, especially when the marital union is with a well-to-do family; 3) life stage priorities with respect to motherhood is a barrier to full time career pursuance and if economic needs are met, most prioritize motherhood over profession. In conclusion, the average graduating dentist is female, from an expensive private sector dental college, affordable by the socio-economically privileged class; she often marries into an equivalent or higher SES class based on her "doctor" title. Since "economic need" is a dominant determinant of pursuance of career, a majority of women dentists opt for the luxury of choosing not to work.Recommendations include revision of policies for admission into dental colleges and retentive protocols on renewal of license to practice.

Background: It is necessary to understand the prevalence and pattern of distribution of dental caries for better planning and execution of preventive activities in the right dimension. This study provided the base line data about prevalence of dental caries in pre-school children of Bharakahu, Islamabad, and its association with brushing, sugar consumption and previous dental visits. Material and Methods: A total of 384 preschool children aged 3-5-year-old were screened from periurban area of Bharakahu, Islamabad, using type IV screening method. Data about decayed, missing and filled teeth was recorded using decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index. Socio-demographics, brushing, sugar consumption and previous dental visits were also recorded and analyzed and their association with dental caries was assessed using Chi square and Odds ratio. Results: The overall caries prevalence among the sample was 49%. The mean DMFT score with 1 SD was 2.07±3.215. There was no significant difference in caries prevalence in relation to gender of the children. The most significant association was for brushing and low DMFT. Children who brushed their teeth were 4 times more likely to have a low DMFT score of <1 than those who did not brush at all (P<0.001). Likewise, those who had visited a dentist in the past were twice more likely to have a low DMFT (P=0.003). The association of low sugar consumption and a low DMFT score was statistically insignificant (OR 1.4; P=0.878). Hence, brushing turned out to be the most significant factor in determining the caries experience for a child. Conclusions: This study provided us with the baseline data regarding the prevalence of caries in primary school going children of Bharakahu. The prevalence of unmet dental treatment needs was reflected through a high number of ‘decayed teeth’ as compared to missing and filled ones highlighting the need for restorative care in these children.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an oral health care workshop in enhancing the knowledge of primary school teachers Study design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Primary schools of Barakahu, from Feb to Jun 2019. Methodology: This pilot study was carried out among who attended a training workshop on oral health at various primary schools of Barakahu. Training methods included didactic lectures, demonstrations and audio-visual aids. Scores were graded pre and post workshop as poor, fair and good knowledge. Evaluation was done to assess the effectiveness of the training. Results: Out of 40 participants, 78% had good pre-training knowledge as compared to 83% after the training. As our data was not normally distributed therefore, we applied, Wilcoxon signed ranks test to check the change in the questionnaire scores (pre- and post-workshop). Among the 40 participants, 30 had a higher score post-workshop, while 7 had the same score and 3 participants had the lower score (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that a training workshop was an effective tool for improving the knowledge of primary school teachers regarding oral health.

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