1996-1-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

The Future Of Dentistry In Saudi Arabia

It goes without a say that Dentistry has made significant contributions to the quality of human life. While a chain of welcome developments in dental practice and education are taking place, anticipating future training needs is still essential in order to enhance our existing well-defined delivery system.

The evolution of dentistry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undeniably stimulted a myriad of interests among dental professionals, both in the government and public sectors. It started in 1975 when King Saud University College of Dentistry was established, with only seven Saudi dentists in the Kingdom at the time. Several dental professionals were recruited from the western and Arab worlds to augment our teaching staff. We struggled greatly to give the best oral health care we could for the public. Academic curricula were thoroughly designed and organized in accordance with international standards as in Europe and the United States. Our dental eduction philosophy offered the scientific basis for the student's clinical years preparing them to give appropriate dental care to their patients. The education also provides them opportunities which enable them to evalute objectively all information and knowledge they may have had. Facilities were as the same time temporarily put in place at a qualitative level comparable to that of the best dental schools worldwide. The University had been very supportive in the continued acquisition of modern equipments to adequately equip our laboratory and research facilities. This effort was made in fulfillment of the increasing demands for research necessary to maintain the high caliber of academic excellence in the college.

By the turn of the century, it would seem that Dentistry has proved to be a fulfilling career to Saudi men and women who chose the professions. Student registrations have multiplied as years went by. Nowadays, more than 800 dentists had graduated from the King Saud University (Riyadh) and King Abdulaziz University (Jeddah) respectively in a bold move to satisfy the dental manpower needs of Saudi Arabia. Most of these graduates had successfully undertaken their specialty training and postgraduate educations in reputable universities in Europe and the United States. They have been stratified into general practitioners, specialists, full time dental educators and public health dentists. The government in keeping with its objectives, distributed these graduates in the Kingdom in such a manner to adequately provide the dental service needs of the people, especially the under-served population. The demographic data gathered from the Ministry of Health indicates an upward trend in the percentage of the current national (Saudi) dental manpower levels. In fact, there are currently three existing dental schools which are the primary source of dental manpower pool in the Kingdom. In the face of rapid economic growth of Saudi Arabia and the subservient changing oral health disease patterns, numerous research studies have been carried out.The government has positively recognized the value of such scientific researches and various regional health and/or grants. Those of us in academic dentistry have emphasized and conceptualized the importance of publishing the results of the multifarious studies being conducted in and on Saudi Arabia. Thus, the founding of the Saudi Dental Journal in early 1989 was considered most timely, encouraging world-wide disseminition of research activities and the stature of dentistry in the Kingdom. Being the only scientific dental journal in the Gulf countries, the Saudi Dental Journal has served and is serving its purpose to reach out and interact with the dental community. After several efforts, its official recognition and sanction by the University and the government as a scientific journal of national and international quality for faculty promotion was granted. Now in its 8th year, the journal is proud of its successful undertaking in communicating with the dental professionals through research. With pride, we note that a very many scientific papers have been submitted for publication, not only from within the Kingdom but impressively from the entire Arab countries and other parts of the world. Studies were mainly clinical and epidemiological investigations on Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. The editorial board members, who have been working as a team, have been performing their tasks painstakingly to maintain the quality of the journal. Regular monthly meetings are held to meet the demands of the journal which grew in stature within a srelatively short time and which strives to maintain a high scientific quality and, at the same time, expedite publication. Our panel of advisory board members and independent reviewers from the government and private sectors, in and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, deserve great credit for their magnanimous efforts in all that the Journal has achieved in the scientific vigor and excellence of its publicaitons.

In addition, the Saudi Dental Society has organized its monthly series of symposia and con- tinuing education programmes to support our sci- entific growth and cope with the changes in dental practice. Issues and current trends on the state-of- the-art instrumentation in dentistry are discussed. These programmes are held in various regions of the country for which most of the participants are in general practice, employed both by the govern- ment and private sectors. In fact, various leading dental companies have also expressed interest in collaborating with the Society to efficiently get new products to dentists in the Kingdom, thereby deliv- ering improved dental health care.

The 9th Saudi International Dental Conference that is due to take place from January 15th to the 18th of this year will probably be a most exciting and fulfilling occasion in our career to culminate our scientific and dental care delivery endeavors. It is a good opportunity for us to be able to participate in a wide range of presentations and continuing education programs that enhance skills and improve technique. Interaction among members of varrious worldwide dental organizations and par- ticipants will prove to be a favorable means of pro- fessional enhancement with the presence of nota- ble national and international speakers.

Today, I can say that dentistry, having been rec- ognized as a worthwhile discipline, has also estab- lished its unique presence and identity in Saudi Arabia. However, careful and logical steps should still be taken to devise and implement distinctive training programmes for us to stay in tune with the ever challenging and changing demands of dental practice. It is with great optimism that with the pro- liferating aggregates of both national and non- national dentists practicing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our present dental delivery system will keep on improving as we move on to the future.

Dr. Abdullah M. Al-Shammery
Editor-in-Chief