Saudi Dental Society, Colgate launch oral health campaign

Burc Cankat, vice president and general manager, North Africa Middle East hub, Colgate, left, and Dr. Fahad Al-Shehri, president of Saudi Dental Society, at the signing ceremony last week.

The Saudi Dental Society (SDS) and Colgate have joined forces to launch a series of initiatives designed to enhance oral health care habits across the Kingdom.
The “Pledge to Enhance Oral Health Care in KSA by 2023” was unveiled during a special signing last week attended by representatives from SDS and Colgate. Comprising five key elements, the initiative is a five-year comprehensive strategy to challenge and positively impact attitudes and behavior toward oral health care in the Kingdom through a wide-ranging series of programs.
Results from the latest research carried out by the Saudi Ministry of Health show that 88 percent of people had not visited a dentist in the past 12 months — the recommended minimum being a routine visit every six months.
The major goal of this joint mission is to ensure that by 2023 at least a quarter of Saudi citizens are routinely visiting their dentists.
“Lifestyles and dietary habits are constantly evolving and an increase in the consumption of sweetened food products and tobacco has resulted in a spike in oral diseases in the developing world. Oral health is directly impacted by lifestyle as increased sugar intake can cause dental caries, leading to cavities that could ultimately lead to tooth loss,” said Burc Cankat, vice president and general manager, North Africa Middle East hub, Colgate, at the signing of the initiative.
“There is a pressing need for increased oral health promotion and reinforcing the message of the importance of oral health care and routine check-ups. Colgate is committed to enhancing oral health in the Kingdom. Through our strong partnership with the Saudi Dental Society we are confident of achieving the oral care goals outlined in our pledge to the citizens of Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Dr. Fahad Al-Shehri, president of Saudi Dental Society, said: “Oral hygiene practices among Saudi citizens are not as regular as they should be and the awareness on prevention of oral diseases is limited. It is time to act, and we are confident that our initiative with the extensive outreach programs aligned to it, as well as the support of the educators, parents and all concerned, will help achieve significantly improved attitudes and behavior toward oral health.”