Dr. Ahmed Al-Muhieb Al-Abdullah, consultant in orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery, advised the pilgrims to pay attention to oral and dental hygiene, and to see a dentist before setting out to perform the Hajj rituals. This aims at examining the mouth in terms of dental caries that may cause problems for pilgrims while performing the Hajj rituals. Similarly, he stressed on making a point of treating abscesses and inflammations before going for the Hajj rites.
This was part of Dr. Ahmed Al-Muhieb's interview at the MOH National Center for Media and Health Awareness, as part of the service: “Pilgrims' Health is our Concern”, launched by the MOH for the eleventh consecutive year. During the interview, he answered the questions of the interested via the toll-free number: 8002494444, and the MOH Twitter account: @saudimoh.
Still, Dr. Al-Muhieb recommended that those suffering from bleeding gum when cleaning their teeth should see a dentist. He went on pointing out that “gum bleeding is either put down to the plaque or the hormone changes such as pregnancy, puberty or others. And, if it is caused by the plaque and the bacteria it bears, then this entails paying more attention to the cleaning of teeth to the point of brushing them three times and using mouth wash.”
Further, when received questions on the impact of the teeth whitening products containing the peroxide substance on the tooth enamel, Dr. Al-Muhieb affirmed that “all the substances containing the peroxide can impact the enamel if used excessively and constantly. And, this depends on the substance concentration to the effect that the concentration of this substance controls its impact as it causes the tooth erosion and sensitivity.”
In a similar fashion, Dr. Al-Muhieb warned pilgrims against neglecting dental caries and oral inflammation and abscesses before going for Hajj. He also emphasized the significance of pilgrims' having medical kits containing the pain killer “Paracetamol” in the event that they experience any toothaches suddenly.
Within the same vein, on Monday, 27/11/1435H, the Center is to host Dr. Safiah Al-Sherbini, consultant in endocrinology and diabetes, from 1 to 3 pm. She is to speak on the diabetes as pilgrims will make substantial physical effort, which make them likely to experience some health issues while performing the Hajj rites. She is to answer their questions and provide them with medical tips.