RIYADH, 24 October 2007 — Saudi Arabia will launch a major campaign to raise awareness about dental care following reports about the prevalence of tooth decay, which has reached an alarming proportion in the Kingdom, especially among Saudi children.

The campaign, which is to be organized by the Saudi Dental Society (SDS) with a mission to highlight importance of oral hygiene, will also focus on the prevention and treatment among children, said Dr. Hassan S. Halawany, SDS’ secretary-general.

“Dental disease is reaching unprecedented proportions in the Kingdom. It is high time for dental and public health specialists to find out how to eliminate dental decay in children within next few years. For example, 50 percent of UK children leave school never having had a filling whereas in Saudi Arabia, more than 90 percent of school leavers have a dental cavity,” Dr. Halawany said.

Referring to the prevalence of dental diseases, Dr. Halawany said that dental caries is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases, five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever.

“In fact, about 90 percent of Saudi families are unaware about the importance of oral hygiene,” said the SDS secretary-general, adding that the dental campaign will cover five different regions of the Kingdom.

“The main aim of the drive is to ensure that children are taken for early dental check-ups,” said Dr. Halawany, adding that Unilever Limited and Al-Marai Dairy Farm will be sponsoring the campaign.

Halawany said that SDS is also planning to organize educative campaigns at shopping centers and other public places where Saudi children will be provided with toothbrushes, toothpaste and other gift items that would encourage children and their families to practice oral hygiene.

He pointed out that tooth decay could lead to many dental complications like cavities, abscess in mouth and bad breath. “Hence, people should ensure that they eat balanced diet, brush and floss their teeth regularly and also use paste that contains fluoride as an ingredient,” added Dr. Halawany.