Community clinics in Dubai are set to get a child-friendly facelift, following an agreement between the Department of Health and oral hygiene firm Proctor & Gamble.
Under the contract, public-sector dental clinics will be remodelled to appeal to paediatric patients, in a bid to boost the uptake of regular dental care. The projects, which will be funded by P&G, will see waiting rooms redecorated and equipped with patient education tools. Children will receive free gifts, such as brushes, after completing each appointment, to encourage good oral care habits.
“We want to create a new atmosphere in the dental clinics,” said Dr Tariq Khoory, director of dental services at the Department of Health and Medical Services. “The aim is educate children and their parents from the waiting room onwards.”
Waiting rooms will be kitted out with plasma screens, which will feature patient-focused programmes to encourage preventive care. Parents will be supplied with pamphlets in English and Arabic with recommendations for basic oral health.
The move is the latest in a series of government-led initiatives to tackle the high rate of caries among school-age children. The issue will be highlighted again during this month’s FDI conference, when Dubai schools will be invited to participate in a dental open-day.
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