The poor oral health conditions in India are extremely alarming. An estimated 90% of the national population is affected by various dental diseases and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), oral cancers account for 40% of all diagnosed cancers in the nation. In India, one oral-cancer related death occurs every 7 minutes and the mortality rate associated with oral cancer has not improved in the last 40 years. WHO has determined oral cancer to be an epidemic in India and Dental HygIndia is working to reduce the number of people afflicted with dental diseases.

One of the causes of this poor dental situation is the lack of dental health awareness and the small number of dental professionals in the nation. In India, there is only one dentist for every 10,000 people in urban areas and an estimated 250,000 people in rural areas. In rural areas, the average 16 year old has 4 decayed, missing, or filled teeth. Through school programs and mobile dental clinics, Dental HygIndia is working towards increasing oral care awareness and preventing the deterioration of dental health among Indians.