DOHA: As the new school academic year began in September, PHCC’s Oral Health Promotion and Prevention Department led by Dr Najat Alyafei has successfully completed analysing the oral health data for the previous academic year, 2023-2024 and released the Asnani School Oral Health Program Report.
Executive Director of Preventative Health at PHCC, Dr Hamad Al Mudahka stated that oral health is a crucial component of every child’s overall health and wellbeing. He also stressed on the importance of annual oral health education, oral screening and preventive treatment for young children in schools.
Dr Alyafei mentioned that during the academic year 2023-2024, some 30,214 students from 140 schools had participated in Asnani School Oral Health Program. These students included 3,190 students from 52 kindergartens and 27,024 students from 88 primary schools. Report shows that prevalence of tooth decay was 70 percentin kindergarten students (milk teeth) and 36 percentin primary school students (permanent teeth). Similar to the results of the previous year, on an average kindergarten child have almost 3 out of 20 of their milk teeth decayed, while primary school students had up to one permanent tooth decayed. Girls in primary schools also showed higher caries prevalence than boys. No significant difference was observed with respect to caries experience and nationality.
Dr Hamad, concerned about the high prevalence of tooth decay among 3–5-year-old kindergarten students stated that parents should not overlook the eating and oral hygiene practices of their children. Sugary diets and neglected oral hygiene are factors that contribute to increasing the child’s susceptibility to tooth decay. Caries experience among 12 years aged children is considered as global and World Health Organization index age group often used for international comparison.
Asnani School Oral Health Program data of Grade 6 students (representing 12-year aged children) reflects mean DMFT of 1.6, which is classified as low caries severity (WHO). Though this figure is encouraging, students throughout primary school need effective reinforcement of oral health education and parental supervision for toothbrushing, until they reach the age to understand and perform proper daily toothbrushing.
Mission of Asnani School Oral Health Program is to improve oral health of students through education and prevention. To prevent tooth decay, evidence based highly effective treatment of fluoride varnish is provided for the students in Asnani program. Dr. Hamad has encouraged parents to provide their positive consent annually and take advantage of this program and, so that the students can have follow up dental checks every year, preventive treatment and referral for other treatments like fillings, if needed for the student, paving the way for their healthier oral health.
The Asnani School Oral Health Program aims to improve the oral health of kindergarten and primary school students. The program welcomes kindergarten students at designated health centers equipped with dedicated oral health rooms and clinics, where they receive guidance, undergo examinations, and receive preventive treatments such as fluoride application to reduce tooth decay.
On the other hand, multiple teams from the Asnani School Oral Health Program visit primary school students in their schools across Qatar, according to a schedule coordinated by the Oral Health Promotion and Prevention Department. The program’s dental team provides oral health guidance, conducts oral examinations, and offers preventive treatments for the students. Kindergarten and primary school students whose parents have given their consent for screening receive a report with information about their oral health status and any required dental treatments, if necessary.
Dr Hamad encouraged parents to provide consent for their children to join the program, enabling them to undergo annual check-ups, receive preventive treatments, and get referrals for additional treatments if needed, thereby contributing to a strong foundation for good oral health.
Thus, the Asnani School Oral Health Program will continue its vital role in promoting oral health among young generations in Qatar. With its comprehensive approach that combines screenings, preventive treatments, and awareness initiatives, the programme is expected to achieve even more remarkable results in reducing tooth decay and gum disease in the coming years.
