Being the first of its kind in the State of Qatar and the region, the guideline includes a set of clinical guiding principles that address information related to oral and dental injuries in professional sports, explaining the best clinical practice strategies on management of oral health injuries in sports.

The guideline was jointly developed by MoPH, Aspetar and the National Oral and Dental Health Program team with the participation of experts in the field of dentistry from various health sector institutions in the State of Qatar, led by Dr Mohammed Alsaey Director of Aspetar Sports Dentistry and a Consultant in Oral Surgery, to highlight the most important principles of Sports Dentistry, dental athlete screening, along with diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental injuries.

This new paradigm will be used primarily by sport dentists, sport medicine physicians and other healthcare practitioners involved in the management of dental injuries in professional athletes in primary care and specialist outpatient settings.

Commenting on the importance of the guidelines, Dr Mohammed Alsaey Director of Aspetar Sports Dentistry and a Consultant in Oral Surgery, said:

Great care is not just about having highly qualified care teams, the latest technology, or the best service and facility – it is also about standardized treatment. This guideline, targeting the professional athlete through a process, aligns with Aspetar and the international best health care standards and practices. This guideline put the Sports Dentistry department of Aspetar as a reference for oral injuries in sports in the State of Qatar.

He further stated that,

This guideline covers a broad topic in relation to oral injuries and is considered to be the first of its kind in the region that is published and made available for all healthcare specialized practitioners.

Dr. Ghanem Al-Mannai, Chairman of Dental Services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), said:

This guideline promotes the efforts of the health sector in the State of Qatar in managing oral and dental health, as oral health is one of the 16 priority areas included in Qatar’s Public Health Strategy 2017-2022, with the aim of establishing an integrated and comprehensive system that provides effective solutions to the current and future challenges of public health”, noting that MoPH, HMC, PHCC as well as partners in the health sector continue to work on achieving the goals that will enhance oral and dental health in the State of Qatar.

For her part, Dr. Asmaa Othman Al Khatib, Manager of the Oral Health Division at PHCC and Clinical Lead for the Beautiful Smile service, has said: “The launch of the NCG for dental injuries in professional sports is part of a comprehensive battle against all the oral and dental health challenges in the State of Qatar which called for the development of such a guideline, in cooperation with partners in the health sector.” She added that the guideline aims to reduce the burden of oral and dental injuries for professional athletes and athletes in general, including young age groups, and it also supports the intensive preparations of the health sector in the State of Qatar to receive the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Dr. Nawal Al-Tamimi, the head of Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety section  said that the NCG is part of the guiding principles that are being developed within the National Clinical Guidelines Program, which aims to set the standards for managing health conditions in the State of Qatar, so that the medical service provided for the same health condition is of the same quality wherever the patient is treated by following the best health practices included in national guidelines.

As part of the efforts to develop sports dentistry in the State of Qatar, Aspetar Launched a first aid Dental kit for oral and dental injuries in 2014, which is the first of its kind in the region, a unique initiative that enables competent pain relief and treatment of oral injuries for athletes on and off the field. The kit was carefully-designed to include several dental materials and tools needed to treat the most common oral injuries among athletes. It is particularly useful when athletes are far away from a hospital or a dental clinic where athletes are taking part in international training camps.  

It is noteworthy that sport dentistry is one of sports medicine specialties that focuses on prevention and treatment of oral and maxillofacial injuries for athletes, including injuries of teeth, jaws, soft tissues, facial muscles, and jaw joints.