Jeddah Health Affairs Management on Saturday launched a free dental checkup campaign in primary schools using a mobile dental clinic. The program comes after the Health Affairs Directorate launched mobile dental clinics at King Fahd General Hospital last month as per the Ministry of Health's decision to fight tooth decay among citizens, especially the younger generation. “The campaign initially targets school students and places frequented by children, such as, shopping malls and recreation and entertainment centers,” said Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Jeddah Health Affairs Management. The ministry, he said, decided on the campaign after it was found that 90 percent of primary school students suffer from tooth decay. “Our aim is to divide the issues into four parts: reducing the percentage of tooth decay cases among children; increasing the awareness level of citizens, especially children and their mothers; activating protective work in all areas of the country, including rural areas and preventing tooth decay by advising patients on how to use fluoride without the need to visit a dental clinic,” said Badawood. The Dental Medicine Management department at Health Affairs has put together four teams of dentists and oral health specialists, which will be responsible for visiting schools to start the checkup campaign.
