Dentist and Social Responsibility: A questionnaire survey among the Dental practioners of Bangalore city

In India more number of dentists has taken dentistry as primary business neglecting the individuals in the society who are in need of oral health care. The present survey was conducted on 98 male and 39 female private dental practitioners in Bangalore on social responsibility through interview on 5 questions by single interviewer. All of them agreed finance as constraint and urged to teach social responsibility for BDS students as part of public health dentistry. Very few updated their knowledge by reading dental literature and preferred to attend hands on courses in the dental conference. 59 male and 21 female dentists said that government should provide dental care for the under privileged, while 17 participants said that the dentist should provide only emergency services free of cost. Need to enlighten dentists on their profession of caring and humanitarian, respecting patients and colleagues by giving something back to community.