Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has collaborated with Philips and Dentist Direct Dubai to support the launch of the ‘Dubai Smiles Healthy’ programme at schools in celebration of World Oral Health Day, which takes place annually on 20 March.

As part of the programme, DHA and Dentist Direct Dubai are visiting schools to carry out dental checks on students. The head nurse in each school will be trained to spot children with dental problems and teachers will be trained to supervise tooth brushing in class.

Dr Hamda Al Mesmar, Director of the Dental Department at the DHA, said: ‘We are pleased to be partnering with Philips and Dentist Direct, to drive awareness on the importance of good oral hygiene, as by 2021, we want to improve and change the overall oral health levels amongst students in Dubai. This new initiative is an excellent way of reaching the students in a way that can influence them from an early age. Oral hygiene is an important issue on our agenda, and through this programme, we will ensure that we reach as many students and parents as we can to drive awareness and behaviour change’.

Rachael England, Dental Hygienist at Dentist Direct, said: ‘We are delighted to support the Dubai Health Authority. Improving the oral health of children is crucial. We want to encourage young people to adopt good brushing habits and reinforce the message that it is important for both a healthy mouth and body. We want people to make smart decisions about their oral health and help them recognise that they need to give their oral hygiene routine more attention and go for regular check-ups, to achieve better overall health’.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 90% of children suffer from caries. Oral disease is the most common disease in the UAE, followed by obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental illness.