Nowon-gu Officially Resumes Dental Care Services for People with Disabilities

From the 25th, dental care for people with disabilities facing difficulties will be operated once a week by reservation & 'Disabled-Friendly Dental Team' formed to establish a cooperative system for treatment linkage

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that dental treatment for people with disabilities will be fully resumed starting from the 25th.

According to data from the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS), the oral examination rate for people with disabilities is 21%, which is lower than the 30% for non-disabled individuals. Among those with disabilities who received oral examinations, 45% were found to require immediate treatment. This figure is higher than the 36% for non-disabled individuals, indicating that people with disabilities face more difficulties in accessing dental care compared to those without disabilities.

In response, the district has resumed dental treatment for people with disabilities, which had been suspended since February 2020 to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19. The service operates once a week on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) by reservation at the Wolgye Health Center Oral Health Center.

The Oral Health Center provides preventive oral disease management and basic dental care such as oral examinations, periodontal treatment, resin treatment, and scaling for dental-disabled patients (those who have difficulty receiving dental treatment) including individuals with physical disabilities, brain lesions, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder. Following quarantine guidelines, only one group of users will be treated at the same time, and reservations can be made by visit or phone.

Recently, a ‘Disability-Friendly Dental Group’ was formed with nine dental clinics to connect patients requiring additional treatment and establish a cooperative system to ensure continuous care. For patients with severe disabilities or those requiring general anesthesia, referrals are made to the Seoul Metropolitan Disabled Dental Hospital or the Central Disabled Oral Treatment Center to assist with treatment.

The district also operates a ‘Visiting Oral Health Service for People with Disabilities’ to prevent oral diseases among those who find dental treatment challenging. Since June of this year, oral health professionals have visited the Seoul Metropolitan Northern Disabled Welfare Center and Down Welfare Center a total of 12 times, providing one-on-one oral care and customized education to 114 people with disabilities.

Additionally, oral examinations and proper tooth brushing education to enable self-care are being conducted at three special classes in middle and high schools.

Going forward, the district plans to expand participating institutions in the visiting oral health project for people with disabilities and broaden the scope of oral education recipients to include disability activity assistants, parents, and teachers, aiming to manage the oral health of people with disabilities who are vulnerable to dental care.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, “Oral health prioritizes prevention over treatment,” and added, “We will continue to implement various projects to prevent oral diseases in people with disabilities and strive to strengthen the foundation for dental treatment for people with disabilities.”