TOOTH FAIRY: Narayana examines a schoolgirl's teeth as her classmates look on

Once a week, a silver-haired gentleman wearing a crisp white lab coat and sporting an easy smile climbs into a white van and drives out to villages in the Andhra countryside. In an age when it is politically correct to toss phrases like "giving back to my roots" and "a sense of social responsibility" and yet do little, Atluri Sriman Narayana is indeed unique. He gives more than lip service. He makes a difference-has done so for almost 30 years.

While many medical practitioners are loath to leave their clinics, Narayana regularly spends time in far-flung villages teaching students about dental hygiene. So far he has taken the message of oral hope to over 15 lakh children in almost 20,000 schools. In doing so, the Hyderabad-based dental surgeon has contributed signally to the Andhra Pradesh School Health Project, which began in the early 1980s. A survey on the incidence of dental diseases among schoolchildren revealed that children and their parents ignored dental care until they are faced with serious problems. Under the project the Andhra Pradesh Government sent doctors from its hospitals and clinics to the outback. Narayana, 62, left government service five years ago. But that hasn't stopped him from continuing to make these visits.

Narayana organises free dental camps at rural school. The costs at such camps come to around Rs 10 per child, but expenses do not deter the doctor. He depends on grants given to his decade-old Sai Oral Health Foundation and is not averse to making up shortfalls from his own pocket. He ropes in students from dental colleges thirsting for professional experience for these "good Samaritan" trips, while toothcare major Colgate-Palmolive donates toothbrushes and toothpaste.

There are lectures for the children at these camps, but the language is simple and suitable for youngsters. There are colourful charts and enthusiastic quizzing. "How many types of teeth are there?" asks a team member in a camp at Pudur. "Four," exclaim the students in unison, "molars, premolars, canines, incisors." Another dentist asks how teeth should be brushed. "Either up and down, or round and round," comes the reply in a chorus. In the midst of checking the gums for diseases, filling cavities and scaling teeth, Narayana and his team continue to educate. "Can you see the caries and the gaps between the teeth?" Narayana asks a group of girls, showing them the decayed dentition of a boy standing in front of him.
It is not the teeth only that concerns Narayana. During his visits he used to notice that the children had other health problems that remained untreated. Now he often takes along specialists such as ent surgeons and paediatricians on his excursions. "As many as five children in the villages have some or the other health problem, which if examined and treated at an early stage will not turn into an affliction for life," says Narayana.

Narayana's focus remains, however, on dental hygiene, in which the leading problems he tackles are dental fluorosis and the brushing of teeth with brick powder. Children learn the proper way to brush teeth during the camps and carry that knowledge to their parents. "Increased dental awareness brings down the incidence of dental caries, gum disorders and other problems," avers Narayana.

Dental fluorosis, a problem resulting in mottled teeth, requires more than lectures though. Daily fluoride rinses have been recommended as an inexpensive, safe and effective preventive measure for children. So Narayana has gifted fluorine water filters to some fluorosis endemic villages like Yadavalli in Nalgonda district. In his native Kuduravalli village in Krishna district, Narayana has donated money for a protected water supply scheme. "My father, a small farmer, died of a tetanus infection when no antitetanus shots were available," recalls Narayana, who also contributes to computer literacy in the villages. Narayana also conducts teacher-training programmes on how to educate children about dental health. "Schoolteachers are our best bet in imparting health education to children and can possibly do it as part of regular academic activity," says the dentist.

In a society that does not often reward selfless service, it is fortunate that Narayana's efforts have been recognised. He has been awarded the Dr B.C. Roy Award, and this January, the Padma Shri award. But his biggest reward is the smiles of the children-the cleaner, brighter, healthier smiles.