ADA News

Beirut, Lebanon—The OralLongevity initiative, designed to increase awareness about the oral health needs of older adults, is reaching dentists and patients in the Middle East.

Global message: Dr. Cedric Haddad, editor, International College of Dentists Middle East Section, displays Arabic language OralLongevity materials at a dental meeting in Dubai last month.

An Arabic language edition of the "A Healthy Mouth for Life" patient brochure and educational DVD debuted at the January International College of Dentists Middle East Section meeting in Lebanon. Some 200 dignitaries, including Lebanon’s health minister, dental school deans, Lebanese and Saudi dental society presidents and others attended a special ceremony Jan. 28.

The packet was also distributed at the UAE International Dental Conference & Arab Dental Exhibition, or AEEDC meeting, in Dubai last month. More than 20,000 dental professionals from the Middle East and North Africa attended the meeting.

Dr. Cedric Haddad, ICD Middle East Section editor, spearheaded the translation project, which took more than a year to complete. The project was sponsored by the Al Waleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Lebanon.

"We are trying to channel distribution of the OralLongevity materials in a way that it will reach the greatest number of people in the general population by handing it out to interested and influential professionals as well as social welfare organizations," said Dr. Haddad.

"The OralLongevity materials developed by the American Dental Association in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline and the ADA Foundation have been distributed widely in the United States," said Dr. Ron Tankersley, ADA president, in a recent letter to Dr. Haddad. "Now, thanks to your efforts in finding sponsorship, this very important information will be presented and shared with new audiences in the Middle East."

In Lebanon, the OralLongevity materials have been distributed in the country's three dental schools, the public health department at the American University of Beirut, the Alzheimer's foundation and to dentists who volunteer in public health programs supported by the ministry of health and the World Health Organization, Dr. Haddad added.

"Ideally, we would like to couple the distribution of the materials with a short lecture session," said Dr. Haddad. One such continuing education program was held in a Beirut suburb in March.

The Arabic language materials have also been distributed in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

"We commend Dr. Haddad and all those responsible for this translation," said Dr. Nolan W. Allen, a general dentist in Clearwater, Fla., and member of the ADA Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations. "Here in Florida, we have used OralLongevity very effectively in conjunction with our Education and Prevention Program for the Vulnerable Elderly. Dr. Haddad’s efforts on behalf of older adults in the Middle East tell us that dentists across the globe have similar concerns for our older citizens. Having a healthy mouth for a lifetime is a universal goal and getting the OralLongevity message more widely distributed moves this goal forward."

Since its launch in 2007, the OralLongevity materials have reached dentists and older adults across the United States. Dental students and long-term care organizations have also received the materials. The interactive materials are available to dental professionals and consumers online at www.orallongevity.ada.org.