The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has launched the 3rd National Oral and Dental Health Survey for adolescent male and female students aged 12-16 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, the Medical Services Department at the Ministry of Interior, Qatar University and Qatar Energy.
The survey targets about 2,300 students in public and private schools. It aims to find out dental caries and gum disease prevalence among students in all public and private schools participating in the survey in Qatar for the age group 12-16.
MoPH recently organised a number of training workshops for the medical staff participating in the implementation of the survey. The workshops, conducted by specialised doctors, included advanced hands-on training on the survey steps.
Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programmes Department, Ministry of Public Health, said that the survey contributes to getting more accurate results on oral and dental health care level among male and female students from the target group and relevant health problems.
A specialised and trained medical team examines the students participating in the survey through a mobile clinic, and the examination includes filling out a questionnaire by the students' parents. The survey containing some questions related to food eaten by young students to determine the percentage of caries they have and to identify the relationship between the type of food and the rate of caries, in addition to assessing the impact of oral health on the lives of young students. At the end of the examination, students will be advised on their need to see a dentist.
The survey contributes to providing officials and supervisors of oral health in Qatar with the necessary information to make recommendations on how to reduce the spread of oral and dental diseases and develop optimal plans for their prevention.
MoPH is also getting ready to launch the fourth national oral health survey for adults aged 18 and above, as part of the Ministry's keenness to includes all segment of the society in dental surveys to promote awareness and provide high-quality oral and dental health services in Qatar.
MoPH conducted two other surveys, the first in 2011 and the second in 2017, during which they found out the prevalence of tooth decay among male and female students, Qatari and non-Qatari, in addition to identifying the relationship between the level of oral health information and health practices, including dietary habits. It was found that the rate of tooth decay among school students at that time was about 85.4%.
Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al-Thani
