Trends in oral diseases among school children in Gaza Strip - Palestine
2nd International Conference and Exhibition on Dental & Oral Health
April 21-23, 2014 Crown Plaza Dubai, UAE

Lamis Abuhaloob

Accepted Abstracts: Oral Health Dent Manag

Abstract:

There is a gradual deterioration in socioeconomic and health status in Palestine because of political conflict and Israeli attacks. Oral school health programme in Palestinian Ministry of Health is one of health promotion programmes aiming to reduce oral diseases incidences among schoolchildren. The objective of this study is to investigate trends in oral diseases among schoolchildren in GS from the scholastic-years 1997 to 2011. dmf and DMF (Decayed Missing and Filled of Deciduous and Permanent teeth respectively) and incidences of periodontitis, fluorosis and malocclusion in schoolchildren (grades (age): 1st (6y), 7th (12y) and 10th (15y)) in GS were obtained from annual health reports of school health programme from 1997 to 2011. Change in trends of oral diseases through years was calculated. The increase in rate of decayed teeth in 6y schoolchildren is alarm and suggests an increase in risk of dental caries in future generations. Effective oral health promotion interventions should consider age specific oral diseases. Political unrest had a profound negative effect on oral health in GS. Generally, there was a gradual increase in the rate of 6y children with decayed teeth (reached 60% in 2008). dmf was higher than DMF. Incidences of periodontitis, fluorosis and malocclusion tended to decline, they were the highest in scholastic-year 1999-2000 (18. 5%, 33. 8% and 28. 4% respectively) - the year of Al-Quds Intifada upraise-, and in 15y schoolchildren.

Biography :

Lamis abuhaloob obtained PhD in Dental Public Health from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. She is Head of Oral and Dental School Health in Ministry of Health in Palestine. She has published and presented several papers in national and international journals and conferences of dentistry.