JEDDAH, 30 December 2004 — Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie has said that candies and chocolates should not be sold in schools because of their effect on children’s teeth. He made the statement at the opening of a new dentistry building at Riyadh Medical Complex on Sunday.
“Dental health conditions in Saudi Arabia need extensive awareness,” he said. The ministry has signed a contract with a national company to launch a dental care awareness campaign.
Last year, the Ministry of Education put guidelines on food items to be sold in school cafeterias as well as making general maintenance and hygiene rules for them. The guidelines specify which foods and drinks are prohibited. They include carbonated sodas and drinks with a low percentage of fruit juice as well as candies, chocolates, gum, items in glass containers and any kind of meat. The items allowed include cookies, cakes, chips, nuts, dates, fresh fruits, fresh and bottled juices, milk, sandwiches and French fries.
School supervisors say that it is not necessarily what is sold in cafeterias that is harmful but what children bring with them from home as well as what they eat at home. “Many parents give in to children’s demands to eat as much chocolate and junk food as they want and don’t realize how bad that is, not only for teeth but for overall health,” said Lamia Ahmad, a school cafeteria supervisor.
According to Patricia Evans, head of the nutrition department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, the most important thing for children is to have a balanced diet which ensures proper growth and prevents obesity and diabetes. Both of these are unfortunately on the increase among Saudi children.
“Children should eat from all food groups in the correct proportion so that they get an adequate supply of protein, calcium, vitamins and carbohydrates,” Evans said. She pointed out that this does not mean they should not eat chocolate or candies but that these should be considered treats rather than meals.
According to international nutritional guidelines, she recommends that schools offer brown bread sandwiches, dates, fresh vegetables and fruits; if fresh fruit is not possible, then dried ones and unsweetened natural fruit juices should be given preference. Low-fat dairy products are also recommended after the age of five; the low-fat products contain the same quantity of nutrients as in full-fat products but with less fat.
An item that Evans particularly warns against is power drinks because they speed up a child’s heart. Even such drinks as Pepsi or Coke have a high caffeine content which is not recommended for children. “I think if students are educated concerning the benefits of a balanced diet and why they need to eat the correct proportions from each food group, then they become aware and can make healthy choices throughout their life,” Evans said.
While eating too many sweets is blamed for children’s poor dental health, the lack of proper dental care also results in problems. According to recent statistics, almost a quarter of the population in the Middle East between 20 and 40 have already lost one or more teeth; by the age of 65, nearly half the population will have lost all their teeth.
John Hassett, director of the Arab Health Exhibition to be held from Feb. 12-15, 2005 in Dubai, said: “The region’s dental market is currently worth more than $2 billion annually. This phenomenal amount is what has prompted a number of exhibitors connected with dentistry to confirm their presence at February’s exhibition.”
The Arab Health Dentistry Conference will cover a broad range of topics, including teledentistry, improvements in oral health care, prosthetic and maxillofacial surgery and aesthetic and cosmetic dental surgery.
“Oral health’s relationship to general health is a critical one that affects health and well-being throughout life; oral diseases and disorders are complex and often progress to a point where they cause patients extreme pain and discomfort and compromise daily functions such as eating, speaking and swallowing as well as school and work performance,” said a spokesperson from Master Dental Clinic, a European specialist group exhibiting at the event.
