Quackery in dentistry

Abstract

Quackery is a derogatory term used to describe the fraudulent misinterpretation of the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Quackery is prevalent in dentistry due to lack of awareness about dentistry, high charges or unequal distribution of dentists. A quack could be a self styled expert, making himself out to be the director or president of an important sounding scientific society. But the quack differs from the ethical practitioner in that the quack's basic tools are incompetence and fraud. Many quacks are practicing on roadside as denturists and making money by fixing artificial teeth or extracted teeth as such on edentulous sites. It is high time for the dentists to tackle quackery both for the health of patients and save this prestigious profession.