Lee Krahenbuhl - Tooth Decay High in Children
Lee Krahenbuhl - Tooth decay is the top oral health issues for many children in Qatar. A recent study was conducted by the Al Wakra Hospital’s Prosthodontics consultant, Dr. Mohamed Sultan al-Darwish and found that of 2,113 students 85 percent of them had tooth decay. These students come from 12 different government schools and 4 different private schools and were 50 percent boys and 50 percent girls. Dr. al-Darwish received his PhD in the UK from the University of Gloucestershire based on this research. He used four other dentists and six data-entry dental assistants with him on the project to evaluate the students. Dr. al-Darwish explained that tooth decay is usually caused by many factors, but has to do with plaque bacteria which diffuses into hard dental tissues that dissolves the mineral content of teeth. He adds, “the three essential factors for dental caries are dental plaque, which can contain harmful bacteria, carbohydrates in the diet and susceptible teeth. The prevalence of dental caries among the school children in Qatar is 85%. The mean value of DMFT is 4.6, 4.8, and 5.5 for 12, 13, and 14-year-old children, respectively. These values are well above the recommended levels of the World Health Organization (WHO), which suggests no more than a DMFT of 3 at the age of 12 years.” He concludes that there needs to be more of an awareness of the oral health needs of schoolchildren in Qatar. Dr. al-Darwish’s study also looked at the associations of the children’s oral health with their knowledge of oral health, their teeth irregularity, and their lifestyle (TV habits, Internet use, passive smoking, and diet). Dr. al-Darwish’s research will probably be added to the world database of oral heath and diseases to supplement the records of the WHO. The WHO may compare this study in Qatar with similar results that they have found in the Eastern Mediterranean in order to find some sort of solution. Dr. al-Darwish’s study recommends the best way to improve the student’s oral health is to educate parents and school teachers with accurate information in order to raise the general health awareness of those in the area.
