Abstract
Background: The existence of a single school oral health program specifically targeting only 6 and 9 years old, for over 25 years was inadequate to address the oral health problems among the steadily increasing proportion of school children in Qatar. Paucity of remodeling the program to match the growing needs of children in Qatar had resulted in an increased prevalence of dental caries among schoolchildren.
Aims: This paper's primary goal is to present the history of the school oral health program in the State of Qatar. Another overarching goal of this article is to present the development and implementation of a new Asnani (My Teeth) school-based program, which was designed to reach Kindergarten and public primary schools, to reduce the high prevalence of dental caries among school children, and a proposal for National School Oral Health Program plan, that will bring together public and private schools under one umbrella.
Recommendation: With the increasing number of KGs and primary school children experiencing dental caries, a new, integrated, and comprehensive school oral health program should be adopted. The program should assist in reducing dental caries rates among school children in Qatar. Since the treatment of oral diseases is costly, Qatar should focus on oral health promotion and preventive measures that will reduce the need for curative procedures and minimize the financial expenses on dental treatment. In addition, it is necessary to have a department for the National School Oral Health Program to continually monitor public and private schools under one umbrella to reach the ultimate goal of reducing dental caries among school children.
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