Objectives:To review the oral cancer (OC) studies that were conducted in Arab countries with regard to epidemiology, risk factors, and prognosis.Methods:A computer-based PubMed literature search was performed to retrieve studies conducted in the Arab world on epidemiology of OC. After screening for exclusion criteria, cross-referencing, and searching local journals, a total of 19 articles were included.Results:Eight prevalence studies found an OC prevalence ranging from 1.8 to 2.13 per 100,000 persons. Oral cancer patients were mostly in their fifth to sixth decade of life, and the incidence in younger age was reported in some Arab countries. Yemenis have an alarming high prevalence of OC among people younger than 45 years. Eleven studies explored determinants or prognosis of OC. Behavioral determinants such as smokeless tobacco (Shamma and Qat), and cigarette smoking were strongly associated with OC. Alcohol drinking and solar radiation exposures were cited as possible risk factors. The most affected sites were tongue, floor of the mouth, and lower lip variations in the affected site were attributed to the socio-cultural behavior of the populations under study. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequently detected cancer, and usually patients were in late stages (III and IV) at the time of diagnosis.Conclusion:No solid evidence exists regarding the true OC prevalence/incidence in most Arab countries due to the lack of national cancer registries and population-based studies.

BackgroundAs primary health care (PHC) centers in Saudi Arabia provide standardized preventive and curative oral health care (OHC) services, challenges remain. In addition, evidence of determinants of OHC seeking behavior is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify common challenges faced by patients seeking OHC in PHC centers and assess determinants of demand for OHC in Riyadh.MethodsAfter institutional approval and piloting, 320 adult patients were sampled at two large PHC centers in October 2015. Using a modified version of General Practice Assessment (GAPQ) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Questionnaires, information about cumulative number of visits to a dentist, patient profiles, provider characteristics, and challenges were collected. We used descriptive statistics to summarize data and employed ordinal regression for analyzing extent of effects of challenges and determinants of demand for OHC.ResultsOral health condition was reported to be good in 31 % of the patients, very good in 25 % of the patients, and fair in 20 % of the patients. More than half (53 %) of patients visited a dentist in the past 12 months once, 20 % twice, and 25 % at least three times. High cost of private clinic and unavailability of dentists were reported as the most common difficulties in seeing a dentist. Patients who were very satisfied with dental care and treatment plan, those with less than excellent oral health conditions and male patients had less number of cumulative visits to a dentist compared with patients with less satisfaction, patients with perceived excellent oral health, and female patients respectively.ConclusionsOur findings provide a strong evidence of challenges faced by patients and determinants of demand for OHC seeking behavior. The findings can inform policy maker not only in patient satisfaction of OHC, but also implications on facilities and health care systems. We conclude with recommendations for future research, especially on oral health preventive measures in PHC centers that correct inherent dental problems and other underlying challenges.

The oral public health program for patients with diabetes was initiated by Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (MoH) based on international quality standard to control the severity of oral disease in patients with diabetes through improving the accessibility of patients to dental clinics in primary health care centers (PHCC). This program intends to deliver oral health care (OHC) for each patient with diabetes at least one visit every six months. However, we found that more than 90% of patients with diabetes that visited prince Mohammed bin Saud PHCC in Riyadh do not get their regular dental check up every six months. We developed a quality improvement project (QIP) using the quality improvement model to activate MoH oral health program for patients with diabetes visiting prince Mohamed bin Saud PHCC.The aim of our QIP was to increase number of patients with diabetes receiving their regular oral health check up during the PHC visit. The quality team tested two simple improvement ideas. The first idea was having the dentist signature on appointment request. The testing of the first idea led to the second idea, that both physician and dentist should sign the referral form. After running several PDSA cycles to test these interventions ideas, we found the number of patients with diabetes seen in dental clinic had increased dramatically compared with the baseline assessment. We conclude that the idea of signing the referral form by both physician and dentist is a practical and simple strategy to be executed and has a direct impact on the patient clinical flow between clinics.