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ePaper created 2014-06-27, 16:49:13 | version 1.30.01
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AD At the upcoming AEEDC Dubai, Prof. Manal A.AwadfromtheUniversityofSharjah’sCol- legeofDentistryintheUnitedArabEmirates will be holding a presentation on the rela- tionship between the body mass index and periodontitis in diabetic patients. In this short interview, she gives new insight into thestateoforalhealthinArabcountries,and whymoreresearchisneededtoaddressoral health care needs. Today international: Prof. Awad, how wouldyougenerallydescribethestateof oral health in the Arab world right now, and what are the most common features most countries share? Cultural values appear to have a signifi- cant impact on health in general. For exam- ple, in the Arab world, loss of teeth is still widely accepted as part of ageing. This should not be the case, especially with the observed increase in life expectancy. Ac- cordingly, raising the public’s awareness about oral health and its effect on general health should be highlighted better by health care professionals. Improvements in theoralhealthofArabnationsaredefinitely needed. What are the main differences with re- gard to oral health? Differences among Arab countries are mainly evident in the utilisation of health care. Financial considerations may have a significant impact on people seeking health careandthisispar- ticularly true for oral health care, which is seldom covered by insur- ance. However, in countries where oral health care is free, it is evident that people are more likely to visit dentists for treatments that could be regarded as more advanced and probably more expen- sive. Living standards have increased in the Arabworldinthelastdecades,atleastin most of the Gulf states. In your opinion, has oral health kept up with this devel- opment? There are known oral health problems, suchastherelativelyhighprevalenceofden- tal caries among children in most Gulf Coop- eration Council (GCC) countries. Although there is ample data showing the extent of oral health problems among these children, more efforts are needed to reduce the inci- dence of dental caries in these early age groups. Efforts should include oral health promotionandeducationofparentsandchil- drenaboutpropermethodstomaintaingood oral hygiene. For effectively reducing the burden of dental caries and periodontal disease, com- munity engagement is very important. At- tempts to change people’s perceptions about their oral health are essential to produce de- sired results. In a recent literature review you co-au- thored, it was found that epidemiologi- caldataontheprevalenceofperiodontal diseaseinmostArabcountriesisinsuffi- cient, particularly for the adult popula- tion. Is this a problem only related to pe- riodontal disease or does this relate to oral health data in general? This problem extends to other oral health problems, too. For example, we do not have enough data on the prevalence of dental caries, malocclusion and other oral health problems, especially in the GCC countries. Thisdataareextremelyimportantforpolicy- makers and stakeholders to plan oral health interventions that could address these prob- lemsandreducetheburdenoforalhealth-re- lated problems in these populations. How- ever, research requires financial support, which could be regarded as one of the main obstaclestoobtainingpopulation-baseddata in many Arab countries. What can new studies contribute to the improvement of oral health in the Arab world? Studies that address oral health needs among adults and elderly groups of patients are important for planning future health care. More research can provide much- needed evidence for policymakers to imple- ment oral health programmes that address those who need them most. Decisions made based on research con- ducted in other countries, however, may not provide an accurate picture about outcomes of certain interventions. For example, in planning oral health promotion and educa- tion programmes, understanding cultural values, beliefs and social structure in the Arab world is important. Culture-specific values influence patient roles and expecta- tions, and these must be taken into consider- ation when planning interventions that in- tend to change people’s behaviour to im- prove their health. Thankyouverymuchfortheinterview. news AEEDC Dubai 2014 “Improvements in the oral health ofArab nations are definitely needed” An interview with Prof.ManalA.Awad Prof. Manal A. Awad “...community engagement is very important.”