A single tooth. One root canal treatment (RCT). That’s all it was supposed to be. Yet in Kashmir’s premier Government Dental Hospital, it turned into a seven-month-long journey involving eight visits and countless hours of waiting. This wasn’t due to any medical complexity or negligence—but because the public health system, though trusted by the majority, is chronically overwhelmed. This experience offers a stark lesson in what our healthcare models often ignore: the hidden cost of care—measured not in rupees, but in time, energy, and trust.

Each visit to the Government Dental College, Srinagar required scheduling adjustments, hours of travel, waiting in long queues, and often, returning without receiving the intended treatment. There were days when the staff was simply too overwhelmed to proceed. The corridors overflowed with patients. And while the medical personnel did their best under pressure, the larger problem wasn’t human—it was institutional.

The Problem of Centralization

The situation is even more challenging for those living in remote districts, as Kashmir—home to over 13 million people—has only one Government Dental College, located in the heart of Srinagar. What happens to patients in districts like Kupwara, Shopian, or Uri? Each appointment means a day-long journey, extra transport costs, and time away from work, studies, or academic research. For elderly patients or daily wage earners, the cost of this centralization is even heavier. Dental pain doesn’t discriminate by district, but access to care certainly does.
What seems efficient on paper—centralizing advanced services in one institution—creates bottlenecks in real life, forcing patients to navigate a slow, crowded system for even the most routine procedures.

Not a Major Surgery—But Still a Major Struggle

In health policy, dental care is often sidelined, viewed as non-urgent or cosmetic. But an untreated dental infection can lead to abscesses, systemic infections, or tooth loss. Delays in treatment aren’t just inconvenient—they escalate pain, extend recovery time, and increase overall healthcare costs.
Patients suffering from chronic dental pain experience not just physical discomfort, but psychological strain. Anxiety, poor sleep, and even reduced nutrition are common. Yet because dental care is rarely prioritized in public health frameworks, these burdens remain invisible.

The Burden on the Marginalized

The problem hits the vulnerable hardest. Daily wage earners lose income with each visit. Students must miss classes. For women—especially in rural or conservative families—repeated travel to urban hospitals can be socially and logistically difficult. Even research scholars struggle to balance academic deadlines and institutional responsibilities while making repeated trips for basic treatment. The current system, unintentionally, amplifies inequality.
A single RCT, when stretched over half a year, becomes unaffordable—not financially, but socially and emotionally.

A Comparative Glimpse: Public vs. Private

It’s not that timely dental care isn’t available—private clinics do exist. They typically offer quicker appointments, better infrastructure, and much shorter waiting times. However, for the average Kashmiri household—especially in rural areas—private dental care remains largely unaffordable.
In India, the average cost of a root canal treatment ranges from ₹2,000 to ₹7,000 per tooth, depending on the type (front tooth, premolar, or molar) and city . Some surveys report that one in three Indians pays over ₹10,000 per RCT, reflecting both regional and provider-based price disparities.
By contrast, public dental hospitals often offer treatments for as little as ₹300–₹400 per RCT —but the caveat is that the system is overcrowded, with long wait times and multiple follow-up visits. For many, the choice becomes stark: delay treatment indefinitely or pay dearly in a private clinic. That is not a fair choice in a welfare-based healthcare model.

Behind the Curtain: Overburdened Systems

Although this story is centered on patients, the system's inefficiencies also strain healthcare workers. For example, it’s not uncommon to find one dental surgeon handling dozens of patients in a two-hour window without even a moment’s rest. This isn't just poor management—it’s systemic failure.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a dentist-to-population ratio of 1:7500 as the standard for adequate dental care. However, according to a report by the Dental Council of India, the national average in India stands at approximately 1:10,000—with sharp disparities between urban and rural areas. In Jammu & Kashmir, informal estimates and field reports suggest this ratio may be as high as 1:30,000, reflecting a severe shortage of dental professionals and uneven distribution of oral healthcare services across the region.
And when doctors are overworked, patient care suffers—not due to intent, but due to capacity. Burnout is real. Fatigue is not a personal flaw; it's a public policy issue.

What Public Health Isn’t Counting

What this entire experience reveals is that healthcare quality isn't just about survival or successful procedures. It’s about timelines, dignity, accessibility, and patient experience. The "cost" of care must also include travel, waiting, opportunity loss, and emotional fatigue.
Yet in most national health statistics, these are invisible.
Healthcare economics often focuses on unit costs, infrastructure, and medicine availability. But the human cost—the repeated disruptions to daily life, the logistical burdens, and the psychological toll—goes unmeasured. That is a gap both in data and in empathy.

What Can Be Done

This is neither outrage nor accusation—it’s an invitation to rethink how we define access and dignity in public healthcare."Here’s what can help:
Decentralize care: Satellite dental units should be set up across districts to reduce pressure on Srinagar’s only dental college.
Appointment-based systems: Introduce digital scheduling or SMS-based alerts, especially for rural patients, to avoid overcrowding and redundant visits.
Mobile dental clinics: Especially for hard-to-reach districts, mobile units can offer preventive and follow-up care.
Increased staffing: Hire more dentists, especially in rural hospitals and PHCs, to bridge the dentist-patient gap.
Policy attention: Dental health must become part of broader public health dialogues and receive dedicated funding.

A Final Word

If a single RCT can take seven months, what happens when the condition is more complex? This isn’t just one patient’s experience. It’s the lived reality of thousands across Kashmir and India. It’s a system doing its best, but clearly under-equipped for the demand it faces.
Public healthcare must not only promise free treatment—it must also ensure timely, dignified, and accessible care. Until then, patients will continue to suffer silently—one tooth, one delay, one lost day at a time.

Email:------------------------- sameersofi013@gmail.com