Vision of a School Oral Health Program (SOHP) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Oral health is fundamental to general health and well-being. Children who suffer from poor oral health are 12 times more likely to have restricted-activity days than those who do not. More than 50 million school hours are lost annually because of oral health problems which affect children’s performance at school and success in later life. Since schools are the place where children spend a good number of their formative years learning, they are invariably an effective medium to influence students’ oral health knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behavior. Schools provide an effective platform for promoting oral health because they reach over one billion children worldwide. By using schools as a medium one can ensure health and well- being of school staff, families and community members. Oral health; Schools