Dubai’s Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine (HBMCDM) has conducted 14 dental screening sessions covering more than 700 workers as part of an initiative launched in May.

The screenings are part of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Oral Hygiene Initiative which was announced in May by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The first phase of the initiative will conclude by year-end with the screening and treatment of more than 2,000 workers.

The Initiative is in collaboration with the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs (PCLA) in Dubai, and the Dubai Dental Clinic (DDC), the clinical entity of the HBMCDM at Dubai Healthcare City, which provides specialized dental services.

As per the clinical data collected after informed consent from 700 male workers screened, the majority – close to 500 were referred to a dental hygienist for scaling to remove dental plaque and tartar (calculus) and for oral hygiene instruction on how to care for teeth and gum tissue. Over 350 were diagnosed with tooth decay (dental caries) that required fillings, and 100 had extensive caries requiring root canal therapy.   

Gum (periodontal) disease was common and diagnosed in close to 300 workers who needed periodontal assessment and therapy. Severe dental problems were found in 250 workers who required dental extraction whereas close to 200 workers had missing teeth requiring fixed or removable dental prostheses.

The screenings under the Oral Hygiene Initiative include dental checkups, and oral hygiene instructions. Screenings are conducted by a team comprising faculty, residents and dental hygienists along with dental assistants and administrative staff.  

Major General Obaid Moheir Bin Suroor, chairman, Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai, said: “By targeting the needs of people from this community, we are hoping to increase the levels of oral health. It is the ongoing mission of the committee to support awareness campaigns for workers’ safety, health and rights.”- TradeArabia News Service