Smiling with confidence an issue for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as survey results reveal the need for immediate action to counter poor oral hygiene

The Saudi Dental Society and Colgate, the global oral care experts, have kicked off a month long campaign to improve oral hygiene across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of their joint commitment to raising nationwide standards.

Oral Health Month, the joint community focused initiative, launches on the back of a recent survey commissioned by Colgate, which revealed that more than 75 percent of residents across the KSA admitted to visiting a dentist only when they are in pain and need treatment.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the annual ‘Oral Health Month’ campaign, Dr. Fahad Al Shehri, President of the Saudi Dental Society, urged the dental care industry to support their drive to raise awareness of preventive oral care habits across the Kingdom.

“With more than three-quarters of the population yet to adopt proactive dental care practices, it is evident that there is still a major need for change in the way residents approach oral care. Through community led initiatives, such as Oral Health Month, we hope to increase awareness among residents of all ages, especially the younger generation, allowing them to start implementing healthier oral care habits early on in life,” said Dr. Fahad Al Shehri.

The effects of poor oral care is further highlighted through the recent survey when almost 50 percent of respondents confirmed they felt that having bad teeth impacted their overall health – which ultimately impacts one’s overall self-confidence.  This is further proven as a staggering 66 percent of residents indicated that they were less confident about their smiles and smiled less as a result of having bad teeth. From the different age groups surveyed, respondents between the ages of 18 – 24 demonstrated a stronger negative impact to their confidence with 70 percent of them citing they felt less sure about smiling because of the poor condition of their teeth.

“We want to encourage everyone, especially the youth across the Kingdom, to smile more and feel confident enough to smile without worrying about the condition of their teeth. To do so, residents need to understand the need for better daily oral care and adopt proactive habits such as visiting the dentist regularly in order for them to have cleaner, healthier teeth,” said Mr. Marios Trikides, Marketing Director, Colgate. “With people feeling their overall health is significantly impacted by the condition of their teeth, there is a need for an immediate shift in their existing oral care practices and a conscious decision to introduce better dental care and eating habits to reduce any negative impact to their overall wellbeing.”

Almost half (47 percent) of residents surveyed confirmed the condition of their teeth directly affects their eating choices, and a third of respondents felt having bad teeth limited their ability to socialize.

As veterans in the oral care industry, Colgate are experts on the positive impact healthy teeth have and through several global and country-specific initiatives, aim to make people smile and feel happier about themselves. The annual Oral Health Month campaign in KSA offers residents month-long opportunities to visit dentists and receive an overdue dental check-up, for free. More than 3,200 dentists across the Kingdom have signed up to the Oral Health Month campaign, pledging to support the initiative by offering residents across the nation a chance to make that change in their approach towards oral care.

“We applaud the consistent efforts of both Colgate and the dentists across the country to encourage Saudis to make preventive oral care an Amanah and enhance the overall health for themselves and their families,” added Dr. Al Shehri.

The partnership between the Saudi Dental Society and Colgate during Oral Health Month and the network of dentists who have signed up to the 2018 initiative is designed to widen its reach and encourage residents to smile more confidently, according to Dr. Al Shehri.

Residents can also visit the campaign’s dedicated website www.colgateamanah.com to book a free dental appointment at their closest community clinic. Oral Health Month runs from March until mid-April, inviting Saudi residents to access the free dental checkups opportunities available and also the chance to learn about how simple oral health care habits can be adopted at home.

Supporting the initiative, Colgate will be running road shows across Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah with dental check-up booths set up across several malls that allow mall-goers and families the chance to avail a free dental check-up.

• Residents in Jeddah can head to the Red Sea Mall between 22 – 24 March
• In Dammam residents can head to the Dahran Mall between 5 – 7 April
• Residents in Riyadh will be able to receive their free dental check-up when they visit Grenada Mall between 12 – 14 April