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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 5/2017 INTERVIEW 13 Interview: "Dentistry in the Middle East has evolved tremendously in recent years" Dr. Khawla Humaid Belhoul is the Direc- tor of Dubai Dental Clinic (DDC), Dubai Healthcare City Medical, the healthcare vertical of Dubai Healthcare City Author- ity. She has been leading the clinic’s opera- tions since July 2013. With a Master of Science in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor in Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Dr Belhoul brings an impeccable skillset and a wealth of knowl- edge to DDC. Her vast experience of more than 20 years in the medical field has been the main driver in her role of manag- ing DDC. Dr. Belhoul’s commitment to the overall health of the community and her deter- mination to provide quality comprehen- sive dental care is what enhances the over- all experience of DDC’s staff and patients. She started her career in dentistry at the Dental Services Department at Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Dr Belhoul later occupied several positions in DHA includ- ing Head of Primary Health Centres in the Dental Zone and Healthcare Provid- ers Professional Development Programs Manager at the DHA Medical Education Department. Prior to joining the Dubai Dental Clinic, Dr. Khawla served as a Director of Clinical Op- erations at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Col- lege of Dental Medicine (HBMCDM). She was also a member of the Global Scientific Dental Alliance (GSDA). By Dental Tribune MEA / CAPPmea DUBAI, UAE: Recently the Dubai Dental Clinic (DDC), Dubai Health- care City (DHCC), has received a major facelift and upgrading to a state-of-the-art dental clinic. The clinic which is situated in the heart of Dubai Health Care City Building 34, boasts a total of eight specialty dental departments, a dental labo- ratory and its very own imaging de- partment. The highly qualified den- tal team provides multidisciplinary dental healthcare treatments all under one roof. Dental Tribune MEA had the pleasure to interview Dr. Khawla Belhoul, DDS, MS (Health- care Management) – Director of the clinic, and find out more about the recent upgrades of the Dubai Dental Clinic. Dental Tribune Middle East: Dr. Khawla, can you please tell us about the future plans of the Dubai Dental Clinic? Dr Khawla Humaid Belhoul: We are currently working on a ma- jor expansion project for the clinic which will include new clinical areas for Pediatric Dental Care, Endodon- tics, Periodontics, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery, Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry, General Dentistry and Oral Hygiene. The expansion will also include a radiology department equipped with world-class 3D imag- ing technology, an in-house dental laboratory and a centralized sterili- zation services department. This up- grade will further enable us to offer a comprehensive range of specialized services under one roof. Having operated the clinic for several years now, what are some of the achievements, challenges and opportunities you have faced? Achievements: We pride ourselves to have passed the Dubai Healthcare City Regula- tory accreditation with a 97 per cent score. This is a clear indication of the clinic’s high quality care and patient safety performance. Furthermore, DDC screened 2000 workers as part of the Oral Hygiene Initiative for workers which was launched in 2015 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. We also treated more than 14,000 patients in 2016 Challenges We in DDC, just like any other busi- ness of dental practices globally, are increasingly facing market compe- tition. However, to overcome this challenge we constantly develop our operation and keep up with industry trends to ensure our competitive ad- vantage in the market. Opportunities DDC provides the highest standards of dental care for the community and serves as a primary and sec- ondary referral center for simple and complex dental cases and oral diseases. The Clinic is the clinical partner of Hamdan Bin Moham- med College of Dental Medicine, the first college under Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine & Health Sciences (MBRU). What sets the Dubai Dental Clinic apart from the many dental clinics in Dubai, par- ticularly within Dubai Health- care City? Today DDC prides itself on being a multi-specialty service provider and having highly qualified special- ists and clinical staff. The clinic has advanced equipment for 3D imag- ing, CADCAM and Nitrous Oxide. Furthermore, our affiliation with a strong academic institution (MBRU) allows constant improvement in healthcare delivery based on an evi- dence-based best practice approach. We also have Individualized care and continuous feedback to patients starting from their first interaction with the DDC. What role does the clinic play in the overall plans of Dubai Health Care City? DDC takes part in the overall plans of DHCC through different sectors. In the health sector, we provide: quality patient centered dental healthcare services for the residents of Dubai and the region through developing a robust quality assurance mecha- nism to meet both national and in- ternational standards of quality care. While, in the Health Education and Research sector we are supporting and facilitating specialized clinical training through our partnership with Hamdan Bin Mohammed Col- lege of Dental Medicine, the first col- lege under Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU). DDC also supports MBRU’s dental research through providing quality clinical data as well as clinical facility support for MBRU students. The research is con- ducted in a safe and ethical environ- ment leading to the development and improvement of dental services and technology in the UAE and the broader region. What is your take on the over- all oral health in the UAE? According to many published stud- ies, the prevalence of caries and oral disease in the UAE is higher than other parts of the world. This is part- ly due to the limited public knowl- edge and a general lack of awareness about oral health. Therefore, there is a profound need to raise awareness of oral health and how best we can protect our teeth. This can be done through targeted community out- reach programs. Another challenge we face in the UAE is the shortage of highly-qualified dental professionals. Therefore, it is important to focus on the education and training of dental professionals. Through its facility, DDC provides the support required to train the future dental specialists for the UAE and the wider region. Looking at the fast-paced de- velopment within the den- tal industry, how do you see "The region is producing high quality general practitioners and specialists." modern day dentistry being affected? Dentistry, like any other discipline within healthcare, has tremendously evolved in the past years. The intro- duction and emphasis on practicing evidence based dentistry has revo- lutionized dental practice. It is no longer acceptable to provide dental care for patients that is not evidence based. The fast-paced advances in dental equipment and materials is now offering many high –quality al- ternatives. This has generally led to the provision of a higher quality of dentistry. What is your opinion on dentistry as-a-whole in the region? Is there a need for im- provement? Dentistry in the Middle East has evolved tremendously in recent years. The region is producing high quality general practitioners and specialists. State of the art equip- ment and procedures are also be- ing well utilized. However, more emphasis on an evidence based approach in all undergraduate and postgraduate dental degrees is still needed. Also, there is a need for local institutions to conduct high quality publishable re- search in the differ- ent disciplines of dentistry. Thank you very much for the inter- view. Dr Khawla Humaid Belhoul Director of Dubai Dental Clinic Dubai Healthcare City – Medical The Authorized Distributor: