Editorial - Saudi Dental Journal

ISSN (Print) 1013-9052
EISSN 1658-3558

The Saudi Dental Journal,
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Tel.	966-1-467-7328
Fax.	933-1-467-7308 / 966-1-467-7534
Email	saudidj@ksu.edu.sa

Editorial

Excellence in The Practice of Dentistry

My editorial comments are directed to dental stu dents and recently graduated dentists who are just beginning their careers of professional service to the people of Saudi Arabia.
Excellence in the practice of dentistry involvesthe application of a broad range of interests, knowl edge and skills. These are applied by dental profes sionals to the prevention of dental diseases and to the diagnosis, treatment planning and eradication of existing diseases affecting the enamel and dentin, the pulpal tissues, and the surrounding hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity.
Knowing that the oral cavity is not a separate entity, you must always remain aware that dental care directly affects the general health and welfare of your patients. You are professionally, ethically, and morally obliged to evaluate the total person, not only the teeth and the mouth. Accordingly, you must have frequent consultations with dental col leagues, physicians, and other medical personnel in the best interests of your patients.
Dental caries and common colds are the two most universal diseases. Ninety-eight percent of the world's population are affected by dental caries, usually beginning at a very early age. In con trast to the common colds, patients do not recover from dental caries without definitive treatment. Dental diseases are cumulative and complex. They become increasingly serious through neglect. Edu cation of the populace to the need for early and reg ular dental care, coupled with a strong program of prevention on a nationwide basis, is mandatory if Saudi Arabia is to encounter the adverse effects of widespread dental disease.
There is an acceptable well-documented evi dence available, which shows that dental caries and periodontal diseases can be controlled in a majority of cases provided that patients will coop erate in the care of their mouths.
Reduction of dental caries by the addition of fluoride to the diet has long been proven effective. Water or salt fluoridation is a public health meas ure, which the entire dental profession of Saudi Arabia should be seeking vigorously to institute nationwide via appropriate health officials. The evidence in favor of fluoride as a caries preventive agent is too strong to be neglected by the health professions.
Dental treatment procedures involve a consider ation of the patient's vital cellular structures in vary ing states of health and disease. Included are the hard and soft tissues of the dentition, the adjacent periodontium, and the body as a whole. In treating your patients, you must maintain an awareness of the biologic principles related to the following sec tors : temperature increases which may be created by rotary cutting instruments; hyperocclusion pro duced by overextending a restoration, infection, and inflammation; therapeutic agents used locally or systematically; the varying stages of root calcifi cation and development of young permanent teeth as compared with the maturation stages at the ages of 20, 40 or 60 years; the condition of the pulp and periodontal tissues, and the age and general health condition of the patient. Ultimately, our main con cern must always be the consideration of the entire body and the overall health of the patient under our care.
It is evident to educated health professionals that a well-qualified dentist, not a technician or an indi vidual with lesser knowledge and skill, must accomplish the diagnosis; prognosis, and treat ment planning for each patient. You, the dentist, bear direct responsibility for any dental treatment of your patients. You must, therefore, be that well-qualified since patients expect you to have a high level of skill. You must continually learn and develop judgement and background knowledge of the factors that relate to the possible success or fail ure of each particular dental procedure.
The teaching and practice of dentistry have been modified significantly during the past 20 years in areas pertaining to esthetics, function, soft tissue care, dental materials, instruments, equipment, and the utilization of auxiliary personnel. One thing has not changed, nor will it ever be changed. That is the fact that you, the dentist, are totally and solely responsible for the quality of the care that is received by your patients. All the refinements of materials, instruments, and equipment will never take that privilege and that responsibility away from you. You are responsible for your dental excel lence and for your dental failures. You must improve your knowledge and skills constantly throughout your professional life so you may con-tinually approach excellence and decrease failures. In so doing, you truly will be a health profes sional.

Peter Cunningham, DDS, Ed.M
Member, Editorial Board