Seongnam City Achieves 94% Participation in 'Dental Home Doctor' Program for Fourth Graders... 98% Parental Satisfaction

Protecting Children's Oral Health with Free Preventive Care

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor: Shin Sang-jin) announced on December 10 that the participation rate for this year's dental home doctor program for fourth-grade elementary school students reached 94%.

A fourth-grade elementary school student in Seongnam is listening to an explanation about proper tooth brushing. Provided by Seongnam City

According to the city, between May 1 and November 30, 6,793 out of 7,263 eligible students (94%) received dental home doctor care as part of the program.

The dental home doctor program is a public health initiative aimed at 11-year-old children (born in 2015), whose permanent teeth are fully developed, providing dental care focused on preventing oral diseases to help prevent cavities and promote lifelong dental health.

The program targets all fourth-grade students at 74 elementary schools in Seongnam, as well as out-of-school youth of the same age.

The city has established a cooperative network with 244 dental clinics to allow participants to receive care close to home.

At these clinics, oral examinations, consultations, and fluoride treatments were provided free of charge. Depending on the oral condition, additional services such as tartar removal, dental sealants, and panoramic X-rays were also offered.

In addition, oral health education was provided on topics such as proper tooth brushing, flossing, healthy eating habits, and fluoride usage.

Each participant received dental care services valued at 48,000 won free of charge.

Parental satisfaction was high.

According to a satisfaction survey conducted by Seongnam City via the DentiEye Gyeonggi mobile app among parents of children who received dental home doctor care, 98% (2,781 out of 2,852 respondents) answered that they were "satisfied."

Some of the feedback included: "I was surprised that sealants and fluoride treatments were provided for free," "The staff kindly taught us proper brushing techniques, so it was easy to understand," and "I am very satisfied because my child started brushing diligently after watching the educational video."

An official from the Sujeong District Public Health Center stated, "The dental home doctor program, which began in 2016, has received positive responses from both children and guardians as it provides timely, free preventive care for children's oral health," adding, "We will continue to strengthen the institutional foundation of the program."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.