Successfully Hosted the 2024"A happy mouth is…a happy body" World Oral Health Day Series of Activitiesand and the " Dental Care for the Old and Young" campaign by Yangchun Stomatological Hospital

In Yangchun, Guangdong Province, the higher proportion of low-income and vulnerable groups suffer from oral diseases. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford the cost of treatment. To address the issue, the Municipal Government and health departments have given significant attention. In 2023, the " Dental Care for the Old and Young " campaign was launched to promote the implementation of the guiding principles and policies of the "Healthy China Action (2019-2030)". This campaign focuses on marginalized groups, aiming to reduce disparities in oral health care access and ensure that everyone can enjoy high-quality oral health services by addressing the issue of out-of-pocket expenses for oral treatments.

Since the beginning of 2024, Yangchun Stomatological Hospital has actively responded to the call of the FDI World Dental Federation and Chinese Stomatological Association(CSA). In collaboration with the Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University,  it has organized a series of activities for the 2024 World Oral Health Day Campaign.  The dental prevention team has successively carried out activities in Qinghu Village, Daxin Village, Pingnan Village, Chunhu Kindergarten, and Heshui Central Primary School. This event was guided and supported by the Yangchun Health Bureau, sponsored by Yangchun Oral Hospital, and co-sponsored by the Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University.

 From March 16th to 30th, the dental prevention team of Yangchun Stomatological Hospital used the portable oral treatment units to carry out free oral clinics in Qinghu Village, Bajia Town, Daxin Village,Sanjia Town and Pingnan Village，Heshui Town. At the village community service center, free oral exams, teeth cleaning, tooth filling, and oral health education were provided to villagers, especially those with limited mobility. A total of more than 290 elderly people received oral health services on site. Medical personnel established electronic oral health records for them and referred those with severe dental issues to the outpatient department of Yangchun Stomatological Hospital. Additionally, promotional materials for World Oral Health Day and oral hygiene gifts such as toothbrushes and toothpaste were distributed to villagers.

During the activity, the team encountered a disabled elderly person who suffered from the sequelae of polio, had limited mobility and faced certain difficulties in life. It was decided to provide free transportation for this patient to Yangchun Stomatological Hospital for dental treatment and also present him with daily necessities such as quilts.

On March 18th, the dental prevention team visited Chunguang Kindergarten in Chuncheng Street to conduct a free fluoride fits and fissure sealing program for children. On site, the dentists conducted comprehensive and through oral exams and pits and fissure sealing for more than 200 children.

From March 26th to 28th, the hospital's dental prevention team visited Heshui Central Primary School in Heshui Town to carry out oral health service activities. On site, all 488 second-grade students eligible for "pit and fissure sealing" underwent the procedure.

At each school and kindergarten, the dental prevention team carefully arranged a festive environment themed on World Oral Health Day. The interesting promotional materials featuring Toothie, the oral health mascot, attracted students' interest. On-site dental prevention personnel distributed health manuals on "A happy mouth is…a happy body" and gave students an interesting and informative oral health education classes. Additionally, they demonstrated correct tooth-brushing techniques through hands-on teaching.

"Pit and fissure sealing" and "local fluoride application" are effective measures to prevent tooth decay. The Chinese government has identified childhood tooth decay as a key preventable disease, and the state provides subsidies for eligible children. Yangchun's "pit and fissure sealing" and "local fluoride application" projects have been rated as "excellent implementation units" by the Guangdong Provincial Dental Disease Prevention and Control Center for several consecutive years. In 2022, Yangchun implemented a citywide program to cover all second-grade students with "pit and fissure sealing" for their six-year-old molars.

Since the launch of the public welfare campaign to care for the oral health of the elderly in 2023, a total of 17 nursing homes have been visited, 90 oral health screenings and educational activities have been conducted, and oral screenings and education have been provided to over 3,400 elderly people. The series of public welfare actions have received unanimous praise from all sectors of society due to their wide coverage, long duration, and large number of beneficiaries. As the partner hospital of Yangchun City Dental Hospital, the Stomatological Hospital of Southern Medical University often sends relevant experts and professors to go deep into the grassroots level, enabling the elderly and vulnerable groups in the village to enjoy expert services delivered to their doorstep free of charge.

Through the organization of the series of activities for the World Oral Health Day on March 20th, Yangchun have successfully raised the public's attention to oral health, strengthened their awareness of caries prevention, focused on the relationship between oral health and overall health, and further enhanced people's awareness of oral health care.