Gyeonggi-do Launches 'Dental Primary Care Program' for Elementary Students Starting from the 2nd... Targeting 120,000 Children

Dental Care Physician Program Guide Poster of Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi Province will implement the ‘Dental Primary Care Project,’ a prevention-focused oral care service for 4th-grade elementary school students in the province, starting from the 2nd.

The Dental Primary Care Project for elementary students is a program that allows 4th-grade children, who are at a stage where permanent teeth alignment is complete and oral health management is most effective, to receive free oral examinations, oral health education, and preventive treatment at designated dental clinics. Since its inception in 2019, it has become established as Gyeonggi Province’s child oral health management system.

This year, the target group includes 121,975 children who are 4th graders in elementary schools within the province, as well as out-of-school youth of the same age.

The examinations will be conducted until November 30. Target students must complete a questionnaire and online video education through the ‘Dent-i Gyeonggi’ app before visiting the dental clinic. They should then make a phone reservation with the clinic before their visit. There are 2,199 designated dental clinics available regardless of the 31 cities and counties within the province, and these can be searched via the Dent-i Gyeonggi app.

Gyeonggi Province explained that last year, out of 121,842 4th-grade elementary students, 111,680 completed the dental primary care examination through this project.

This represents the highest participation rate among all provinces and cities nationwide that are conducting similar projects.

Meanwhile, in a satisfaction survey of students (and their guardians), 98.6% of participants responded that the program was helpful for children’s oral care.

Ko Byung-su, Director of Public Healthcare at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Elementary school students are at a critical stage for oral health. This program provides students with an opportunity to receive proper oral health education and appropriate preventive treatment for free, laying the foundation for lifelong oral health."