Highlights
Task:
Your Minister of Health asks for your advice on whether to fluoridate the water supplies in a medium-sized town. What are the factors you would consider?
Introduction:
As a response to the high rates of dental caries in Saudi Arabia (KS), Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) has adopted the Ministry of Health (MOH) recommendations regarding the addition of fluoride ion to the main drinking water networks in the major cities. The Ministry of Health in Saudi follow the majority of the oral health policies of the World Health Organization (WHO). Likewise, WHO (2004) has emphasised the importance of the right of the population to have safe drinking water, despite the level of development, economic and social problems of countries. Therefore, the WHO is considered that the water fluoridation is fundamental dental public health measure to prevent dental caries through safe doses. However, since it established, water fluoridation remains a controversial public health measure. Therefore, this essay is going to discuss in-depth the main factors that have to be considered in case of fluoridating water supplies in a medium- sized town in Saudi Arabia.
Dental caries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
The KSA’s rapid growth and development in recent years has led the population lifestyle led to changes in lifestyles that have increased the prevalence of many preventable diseases, including dental caries (MOH 2019). In the KSA, caries accounts for 93 – 98% of oral diseases (Detels 2015). The KSA dentist to population ratio is 1:5,235, which increases the challenge of caries. Dealing with caries has become one of the most costly treatments (Baghdadi 2011). Furthermore, the pattern and distribution of dental caries both in adults and in children in the KSA has recently changed; for instance, the prevalence of dental caries in Riyadh is 83 – 96%, whereas it is 74.8% in Jeddah. High percentages have also been reported in other cities in KSA (Al-Khalifa 2015; Baghdadi 2011). A public health problem arises when the demands on the health care organisation surpass the resources available to deal with the problem. For a problem to be recognized a public health issue, at least one of four criteria must be met (Daly et al. 2013).
A glance at fluoride vehicles used to prevent caries in the KSA:
Fluoride is a natural mineral that is found in various foods and drink. Regular fluoride consumption strengthens tooth enamel, thus creating teeth that are more resistance to dental caries (Fluoride, 2020).
Mechanisms
Pre-eruptive
Post-eruptive
Systemic
Topical
Fluoride vehicles used in KSA
Fluoride toothpaste
Fluoride mouthwash
Fluoride varnishes
Fluoride milk
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