Improving Oral Health Status of Children in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This comprehensive community health intervention aimed to improve the oral health and reduce the incidence of dental caries in Tabuk schoolchildren. The program supports the public health pyramid that provides a framework to improve health and included creating and evaluating a school oral health surveillance system, applying fluoride varnish and dental sealants on high-and medium-caries risk children, and providing treatment for existing diseases. In a pilot phase, 48 children (26 males 22 females; mean age 6.42; dmft 9.33, Decayed, Missing, or Filled Primary and Permanent Teeth (DMFT) 3.27) received the dental services, both treatment and prevention. Three hundred seventyeight composite resin or resin-modified light-cured glass ionomer restorations were placed. One-hundred and eighteen teeth received pulp therapy (pulpotomy or pulpectomy), ten of which received stainless steel crowns. A total of 72 teeth were extracted due to caries. To understand the effects of dental disease on children, as perceived by parents, an oral healthrelated quality of life survey was completed and analyzed. Results found an underestimation of the role the teeth play, particularly primary teeth, in the general health and wellbeing of the child. The program's main evaluation effort focused on the process and outcome objectives, including the number of children received care, number of teeth received restorations and sealants, and number of children received fluoride varnish, etc. Analyzing the effect of the program on oral hygiene revealed an improvement in oral health, as a direct result of oral health educational sessions and one-to-one counseling. There is an urgent need to expand the program to include all primary schools. OPEN ACCESS Dent. J. 2014, 2 23

The Oral Health Status and Attitudes of Saudi Adolescent Male Students in Albaha Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The overall incidence of dental caries, plaque and gingival bleeding in the studied population was found to be significantly high in the current study, consistent with the findings of previous research conducted in Saudi Arabia across several cities, including Dammam, Tabuk, Riyadh and Jeddah [5][6][7][8][10][11][12]. This might indicate that dental caries and periodontal disease in Saudi Arabia are not treated regularly, similar to conditions in several developing countries [22,23].…”

“…Meanwhile, an overall prevalence of 73% for dental caries was reported in a sample of 711 Saudi schoolchildren in Dammam [5]. Similarly, a mean DMFT index score of 3.27 was found for 48 children in Tabuk [6]. The incidence of dental caries was also determined to be ≥ 80% in 1844 schoolchildren in Riyadh [7].…”

Impact of Oral Health Behaviors on Dental Caries in Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Guangzhou, China

“…Routinely visiting the dentist and toothbrushing are considered to be caries-preventive measures [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. In our study, only 23.6% of IDC had visited a dentist in the preceding 12 months and 32% of IDC brush their teeth more than once a day; their prevalence rates for caries and DMFT scores were significantly lower in comparison with those of other children ( p < 0.01).…”

Effects of Dental Rehabilitation under General Anesthesia on Children’s Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life: Saudi Arabian Parents’ Perspectives

“…Dental treatment under GA is not covered by all medical insurance companies in Saudi Arabia, and there is a long list of pediatric dental patients waiting to undergo GA in Ministry of Health and Ministry of Higher Education hospitals, which provide such treatment free of charge. Dental care is the most prevalent unmet healthcare need for children in Saudi Arabia, as is the case in many other countries [ 29 ]. Research on children’s OHRQoL can help demonstrate the burden of illness caused by oral diseases, which might be useful for changing health policy.…”