On today is a photograph of a dental business in Delhi from 1946. While the name of the dentist remains unknown, the image was featured in an American publication at the time as part of a series on ‘sidewalk businesses in India.’
Although the publication presents the ‘sidewalk dentist’ as a curious oddity, the hypodermic needle in his hand suggests that he was a reputable, if not officially licensed, practitioner running a popular business. It is also noted that his stall was located at the foot of the Jama Masjid, implying that he could afford the higher rent typically charged by the mosque authorities. All of this points to his business being well-established and in demand.
One might argue that the crowd in the photograph was gathered specifically for the feature, and that the display of dental impressions and a bed of extracted teeth (!) was staged for the photographer. However, we may never know for certain.
In the absence of universal dental care in India, such forms of street dentistry continue to exist today. Delhi’s street dentists—and more generally, India’s street practitioners—cater to the poor, who often cannot afford private dental care. A contemporary publication featured a story on this subject, which I’m enclosing here for further reading: https://www.livemint.com/Politics/DKDZkHEa9hoyDVUQzGr1IO/Street-dentists-filling-gap-for-the-poor-in-India.html
See you next Friday for more on Delhi’s history.
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