Restoring aesthetics using functionally fixed prosthesis: a clinical case report

This case report highlights dental treatment abuse performed by an incompetent person on a woman. A quack is defined as "an unqualified person who falsely claims to have medical knowledge'. Most developed countries have explicit legislation with respect to the 'lawful' practice of dentistry. Dental quackery is prevalent in India on a large scale and many people especially from lower sections of the society resort to these treatment methods for their dental problems. The main reasons for visiting a quack were cost (53%) and non availability of dental clinics (20%). Although, this type of practice is illegal, little is being done to check the same. Dentistry has come a long way in the last one and a half century; today it is ranked as one of the most respected professions. It is incumbent upon dentists everywhere to protect this hard-earned reputation by weeding out quacks from among them. However, as dental professionals we must guide these patients towards effective dental treatment through media and awareness programmes. The government should urge fresh graduates to practice in rural areas and provide more incentives to them. Public health dentists should take the initiative of adopting more community-oriented oral health programs to increase the awareness among rural populations. In this case, the unanatomical, unaesthetic false discolored prosthesis were removed after the patient reported to the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics.