Gwangju City Provides Oral Health Services to 1,300 Elementary Students

From Prevention to Treatment
Operation of the "Children's Dental Home Service"

Gwangju City Hall exterior view.

Gwangju City announced on the 25th that it will operate the "Children's Dental Home Service" this year to improve the oral health of elementary school students.

Since 2014, the city has allocated a budget to provide continuous and comprehensive oral health management services for elementary school students from low-income families. Until last year, a total of 16,033 children benefited from the program.

Last year, the city invested 160 million won to support 1,332 elementary school students, and this year, it will continue to provide oral checkups, preventive care, and financial support for dental treatment to 1,300 students.

The target group is students in grades 1 to 6 of elementary school. The first priority is children from households receiving basic livelihood security and those in the next-lowest income bracket; the second priority is children from families with an income at or below 100% of the median; and the third priority is children from families with an income at or below 120% of the median. After selecting first-priority children, the city will recruit second- and third-priority children on a first-come, first-served basis.

Preventive dental care and treatment services will be provided through public health centers and participating medical institutions. Preventive care is offered every six months, and if needed, up to 350,000 won per person per year is provided for dental treatment.

This year, the number of students supported by district is as follows: Dong-gu 117, Seo-gu 286, Nam-gu 247, Buk-gu 325, and Gwangsan-gu 325. For information on participation and use of the program, please contact the oral health center at each district's public health center.

Bae Kangsook, Director of Health and Hygiene, said, "Dental health is an important factor in children's growth and daily life, and requires continuous management. We ask for the interest and participation of guardians so that more children can receive proper oral health care through this program."