Introduction
Practicing dentistry in Saudi Arabia like this writer did while on internship is not very different from the same practice in the US. Patients, both young and old, and from different genders all come looking for dental services. Some patients seek dental services as part of a healthy routine, but some are prompted by toothaches, bleeding gums, teeth sensitivity, or other dental-related conditions. In this paper, the writer will review existing literature about dentistry and dental hygiene in Saudi Arabia. The author will relate empirical literature with his own experiences during the internship. The paper concludes by noting that perhaps the Saudi Arabian government needs to consider obeying the rallying call made by multiple authors regarding making dental and oral health awareness a public health priority.
A Review of Literature
Dental health among Saudis has attracted much interest from researchers. High dental caries incidence is among areas that have been investigated by Togoo et al. (261-265). In an empirical study that featured dentists, the authors found out that oral hygiene in the country could do with some improvement (Togoo et al. 264). Specifically, the dentist featured in the study indicated that most dental problems in the kingdom are brought about by bad oral hygiene habits, the absence of oral health education, and parents’ lack of awareness on how important oral health was to their children (Togoo et al. 264). True to the aforementioned findings, most of the dental problems that this writer handled during the internship could have been avoided through better oral hygiene practices. The issue of poor oral health was further supported by (Agili and Park 714), who during an empirical study, found out that only 30.5% of respondents (adolescent users of smokeless tobacco) practiced daily tooth brushing. Even more revealing was that 16.4 percent of the respondents indicated that they never brushed their teeth. Additionally, most respondents (78.7 percent) indicated that they had only visited the dentist because their teeth were either decayed or aching (Agili and Park 714). True to what Agili and Park observed during their study, this writer rarely attended to adolescents during the internship in Saudi Arabia. Most patients were either in the older or younger age groups. Even more disconcerting was the fact that patients rarely attend normal dental checkups; rather, they came because they had teeth-related issues that needed medical attention.
Lack of dental hygiene awareness has also been reported among older people in Saudi Arabia. It has been argued that one of the reasons why dental hygiene awareness is minimal in the kingdom is because the government has not prioritized it as a matter of policy intervention (Al-Shehri 313; Togoo et al. 264). It has also been indicated that health policy planners and dental professionals need to create more awareness regarding good oral hygiene practices, with special emphasis on daily brushing of teeth, flossing, and regular dental checkups (Al-Shehri 313). Arguably, the dental clinic where this writer was practicing attachment plays its part in awareness creation because at the end of every consultation, the patient is instructed on how to maintain optimal oral hygiene, and is also issued with a toothbrush, mouthwash and dental floss. Notably, however, the instructions and dental-hygiene items only benefit those who come to the dental clinic. As such, there is a possibility that the greatest percentage of the population who never attend dental clinics remain clueless about dental hygiene. The argument that policy planners and government need to intervene is hence plausible since government has the capacity to reach wider audiences across the Kingdom.
Curiously, poor dental hygiene in Saudi Arabia is not a preserve of Saudi nationals alone. A study carried out among Pakistani nationals living in Riyadh showed that gingival bleeding and high plague incidence were common among respondents, something which was connected to poor oral hygiene (Bangash, Khan and Hanif 353). Once again, the need for policy intervention, oral health education and programs intended to promote oral health has been cited in the literature (ibid.). Several literature sources (Agili and Park 714; Al-Shehri 313; Bangash et al. 353) indicate that if awareness was created regarding the need to observe high standards of oral hygiene, dental disease prevalence would be lower. In one study, it was reported that “lack of oral health awareness accounts for over 90% of all untreated oral diseases including caries and periodontal disease” (Bangash et al. 353). During internship, this writer encountered people from different cultures. Out of respect for diversity, however, questions relating to the patients’ nationalities were not asked. It is however noteworthy that the dental issues that such people had, were not any different from what was common among Saudis. As indicated above however, the call by researchers and analysts for policy intervention seems plausible; programs initiated by the government (e.g. through the education system or through media channels) would reach all people residing in Saudi Arabia regardless of nationality or cultural background.
Smoking and its effect on dental and oral health is also a common theme in Saudi Arabia. The bulk of the patients that this writer treated while on attachment were active smokers or users of smokeless tobacco. Notably, most of them were aware of the negative effects of tobacco on oral health, and similar to what (Ahmad et al. 309) found out, smoking prevalence is high in Saudi Arabia while tobacco use is also relatively common among adolescents and the mature male population. The foregoing is an indication that although it is high awareness about the negative effects of smoking and/or tobacco use, most users lack the willpower or the ability to quit smoking. As (Ahmad et al. 309) noted, more Saudis are switching to water pipe smoking based on the belief that it is less harmful compared to cigarettes. As a world Health Organization report indicates however, the idea that waterpipe smoking is any safer compared to cigarette smoking is a mere misconception. If anything, the nicotine consumption by water pipe smokers is higher when compared to nicotine consumption by cigarette smokers (World Health Organization 3). Without knowing the facts, Saudis, and especially young people who are looking for safer ways to enjoy tobacco will continue exposing themselves to negative smoking habits.
Incidentally, and this is something this writer witnessed during an internship, there is a great deal of role-modeling among Saudis. The writer made the foregoing observation during interaction with young patients, as he tried to make them comfortable during a dental examination. When asked about whom they would like to take after in the future, little boys would name their fathers while the little girls would name their mothers. Similarly, bad health routines (in this writer’s observation) were modeled easily, as more often, a parent or guardian who brought in a child for dental medical checkup would have issues with their dental health too. Curiously, there is not much literature regarding the role that parents and guardians play in modeling good dental practices. This gap in knowledge, therefore, needs to be addressed, because much as policy intervention is agreeably useful, future generations (i.e. the children of today) will most likely adopt good oral practices if their parents model and supervise the same. Arguably, therefore, programs and interventions by policymakers and government should target the entire population, but the special emphasis should be made on educating the adult population. The foregoing argument is especially relevant where negative habits such as tobacco use and cigarette smoking need to be broken.
Conclusion
Overall, an attempt to find theoretical literature relating to oral health turned no results. Empirical results are however many thus explaining why they have been used in this essay. In conclusion, it is worth noting that perhaps the Saudi Arabian government needs to consider obeying the rallying call made by multiple authors regarding making dental and oral health awareness a public health priority. For government intervention to have an optimal effect, however, researchers and analysts need to find out which population segment would have the greatest rates of behavior change if targeted with dental awareness programs. As indicated elsewhere in this essay, the role modeling behavior as evident in Saudi culture may mean that targeting parents is the right approach to take since they (parents) would model the newly learned dental practices to their children. Additionally, if parents drop some of the unhealthy behaviors such as cigarette smoking and tobacco use, their children would probably follow suit hence reducing their susceptibility to dental illnesses.
Works Cited
Agili, Al and Hugh Park. “Oral Health Status of Male Adolescent Smokeless Tobacco Users in Saudi Arabia.” Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal 19.8 (2013): 711-719. Print.
Ahmad, Mohammad Sami, Ahmed Bhayat, Khalid Al-Samadani and Ziad Abuong. “Oral Health and Practice among Administrative Staff at Taibah University, Madina, KSA.” European Journal of Dentistry 2.3 (2013):308-311. Print.
Al-Shehri, Sharifa A. “Oral Health Status of Older People in Residential Homes in Saudi Arabia.” Open Journal of Stomatology 2 (2012): 307-313. Print.
Bangash, Muhammad Fuad, Jamroz Khan, and Amjad Hanif. “Oral Hygiene Practice and Awareness among Pakistanis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.” Pakistan Oral & Dental Journal 33.2 (2013): 350-354. Print.
Togoo, Ahmed Rafi, Mohammed Al-Rafee, Reena Kandyala, Master Luqam and Mohammed Al-Bulowey. “Dentists’ Opinion and Knowledge about Preventative Dental Care in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study”. The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice 13.3 (2012): 261-265. Print.
World Health Organization. Water Pipe Tobacco Smoking: Health Effects, Research Needs and Recommended Actions by Regulators. 2013. Web.