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Regular dental check-ups recommended at FDI 2007

DUBAI — Experts who came to attend the World Dental Congress (FDI 2007) that concluded in Dubai recently, have recommended making regular dental check-ups mandatory for all people every six months. They had also recommended inclusion of fluoride compulsorily in tap water.

The proposal for regular dental check-ups was among several put forward by the Local Scientific Committee of the World Dental Federation. Dr Tareq Khoury, chairman of the committee, said that among the recommendations presented at the closing of the congress, regular dental check-ups was an important one.

“We have recommended that regular check-ups every six months should be made compulsory for all UAE residents, starting from six months of age. This will prevent children from getting dental caries and will also nip the problem in the bud,” he said.

He also said that the other recommendations include instituting regular check-ups for children at schools. “A report should be prepared for each child and presented to the parents so that they know the exact dental conditions of their children,” Dr Khoury explained.

“We have also suggested that treatment be made available for all so that they can start taking the treatment as soon as possible,” he said. Dr Khoury also recommended reforms in the licensing procedures for dentists in the country saying that the criterion for licensing should be based on skill levels and training should be undertaken by dentists.

He also recommended setting up of an institute to conduct research on how to improve and widen the knowledge of dental professionals.