A majority of individuals in the Middle East do not practice recommended oral hygiene measures, according to dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, prevention of oral diseases is not a high priority in the region, especially among adults, who only visit dental clinics when they experience toothaches. The observations were made during a workshop hosted by Johnson & Johnson Middle East recently in Dubai as part of efforts to examine the current status of oral hygiene in Saudi Arabia and the challenges dentists face in their day-to-day practice. As one of the key outcomes of the deliberations, panelists highlighted the urgent need for research, continued education and public awareness initiatives on oral health and hygiene in the country. The experts additionally underlined the need for decision-makers in all health sectors in the Kingdom to increase the number of dental hygienists and use consistent guidelines instructions to improve the public awareness. The workshop drew the participation of Dr. Hesham Al-Mashat, Consultant of Periodontology and Implantology in the Kingdom; Dr. Meshari Al Damkh, Assistant Professor at King Saud University (KSU), Security Forces Riyadh; Dr. Anil Sukumaran, Professor at KSU; and Dr. Montaser Al Qutub, Associate Professor at KSU. “We have a number of hygienists in Saudi Arabia who help patients understand the importance of maintaining an oral hygiene regime. Despite this, up to 30 percent of our patients do not know the difference between cleaning the teeth and cleaning the gums. We believe it is a major role of hygienists, dentists, periodontists, nurses and all healthcare providers to raise the awareness on the importance of oral hygiene and oral health,” Dr. Mashat said. According to one of the largest independent epidemiology trials in the Middle East conducted by Phystone Research in 2007, which evaluated periodontal disease in Saudi Arabia, 45 percent of the population between the ages of 18-59 suffer from bleeding gums. Against this scenario, experts at the workshop highlighted a clear need for improving epidemiological and clinical studies in oral hygiene to examine the magnitude of the problem and identify solutions. The dentists also concurred that despite the glaring need for periodontists, the speciality ranked among the least practiced in Saudi Arabia. “Today, there is a lack of awareness in the society on the importance of oral health; people believe it is not life-threatening even when many systemic diseases such as heart conditions have been linked to poor oral hygiene. Most patients visit their dentist only when they suffer from unbearable pain. Some patients even believe that chewing gum can replace brushing! The truth is that there is no alternative to brushing, flossing and using an antibacterial mouthwash as these are essential for maintaining oral health,” Dr. Sukumaran said. The Saudi Arabia Dentist's Workshop came on the heels of the launch of Listerine Zero, an alcohol-free formulation of Johnson & Johnson's mouthwash range. The new mouthwash complements the use of toothbrush and flossing in killing plaque-causing bacteria. The company also guaranteed its collaboration with a group of Saudi dentists to understand oral hygiene issues in Saudi Arabia. It also stressed the importance of improving oral hygiene in the country by reaching out to the entire community with extensive and continued education programs.
