Our children's smiles are in danger. A gloomy warning? Perhaps, but it's also the theme chosen for an educational lectures' night organized by King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, and sponsored by the Saudi Dental Society and Signal Toothpastes Company. The lectures weren't strictly dental in nature, with religious figures like Dr. Abdullah Fadaq, Nutrition experts and psychologists also on the speakers list. Each gave their take on the variety of topics covered, which included the psychological effects of non-healthy teeth in children in addition to Dental Hygiene and the effect of nutrition on teeth. Many common beliefs and ideas regarding dental health were laid on the table and dissected by the speakers. For example, considering color the only health state indicator in teeth turned out to be a falsehood, size also matters. “Having white teeth isn't always a sign of healthy teeth; size and shape are usually the first things to check.” Said Dr. Hassan Halawani, Council Secretary and Member of the Saudi Dental Society. Dr. Halawani also said that dental caries is the most common dental problem in the Kingdom as well as other Arabic countries. “92 percent of Saudi children present with dental caries.” He said, “Most people think that caries is a hereditary problem, its not. It's mainly caused by bacterial infections, caused by ingestion contaminated food.” Still, dental caries don't appear overnight. Dr. Halawani says that it takes about six to nine months for caries to develop and appear on teeth, passing several milestone stages during that time. Trying to solve the problem by spreading awareness among children alone would be a pointless effort according to Dr. Halawani, who said that targeting parents would be more effective, since they are the ones that can actually make their children's surrounding environment a healthier one. But children aren't the only group in society that needs a heads up when it comes to dental health. In fact, almost every one suffers from plaques, another common dental problem that builds up slowly. Getting rid of plaques requires a visit to the dentist every six months in order to get your teeth cleaned. “Dental care isn't just a health issue, it's a religious duty.” Said Dr. Halawni. “Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the first to emphasize on the importance of dental hygiene, advising Muslims to clean their teeth before every prayer.” Dental caries can result in annoying complications like mouth ulcerations, bad breath and embarrassing appearance. “Most people think that bad breath comes from the stomach, but the truth is, the more teeth infected with caries you have, the more foul your breath will become.” Said Halawani. Although it seems as if dental caries will soon be a major health problem in the Kingdom – if not one already -, the reality is that there are not enough resources to combat this problem, with only eight thousand dental clinics in the Kingdom and more than eight million children suffering from caries, according to Dr. Halawani. Even more, not all dentists are qualified to treat caries. “Only four thousand doctors in the Kingdom are capable of treating caries,” Dr. Halawani said “so the best way to deal with this problem would be prevention.” Dental caries can be easily prevented by applying simple measures, like brushing teeth and flossing regularly. Eating healthy food is also required to avoid caries. But you can't ask your kids not to eat sweets. That simply won't work. Instead, try convincing them – or perhaps fooling them - into decreasing the amount of sweets they eat. __
