Hapcheon County Selected as Outstanding Institution for Oral Health Project ... Receives Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation

Efforts to Improve Oral Health Among Local Residents
Recognized Nationwide

Hapcheon County in South Gyeongsang Province announced on October 1 that it has been selected as an outstanding institution for the 2025 Community Oral Health Project by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, receiving the Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation for the second consecutive year following 2023.

This evaluation was conducted for local governments nationwide based on the detailed implementation results of oral health projects carried out in 2024. The review comprehensively assessed project execution efforts, achievement of quantitative targets for best practices, and overall project performance.

The county's mobile oral health project received high marks for directly reaching residents in underserved areas, providing oral health information, encouraging practical action, improving individuals' oral health management skills, and addressing service gaps.

Group photo of Hapcheon County receiving the Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation.

To improve access to dental care, the Hapcheon County Public Health Center operates a mobile dental clinic, where public health dentists and dental hygienists visit community centers and senior welfare facilities to provide scaling, denture cleaning, gum health management, and oral health education, offering practical, hands-on instruction.

As a result, the county is leading efforts to close gaps in dental care and promote health equity, with the proportion of seniors reporting chewing discomfort steadily decreasing each year: from 35.3% in 2022, to 32.4% in 2023, and 30.2% in 2024.

Since 1996, through collaboration with the Hapcheon County Dental Association, the county has launched various programs, starting with free dentures for seniors. These include denture and implant projects for the elderly, dental treatment support for people with severe disabilities, denture bridge support, and implant support for those aged 60 to 64, benefiting a total of 2,840 people.

In particular, beyond government-funded programs, Hapcheon County has been supporting middle-aged residents with chewing difficulties since 2012 by providing denture and bridge support to low-income individuals aged 40 to 64. The county covers prosthesis production costs up to 3 million won per person, and with an annual budget of 150 million won, 701 people have been supported as of 2024.

This initiative is recognized as a signature project of the county, safeguarding residents' right to health and improving nutritional intake for those who had postponed dental care due to financial constraints, thereby enhancing overall life satisfaction.

Additionally, the county regularly conducts customized oral health education for people with disabilities and multicultural families who face challenges in oral care, raising awareness and continuously identifying those in need of dentures and prostheses. To accommodate participants with communication difficulties, the program utilizes visual aids such as PowerPoint materials and dental models, and provides sign language interpreters and multilingual support through the Family Center to enhance understanding of the educational content.

County Governor Kim Yooncheol stated, "We will continue to listen to even the smallest inconveniences of our residents and strive to build a community where everyone can enjoy the right to health without discrimination. Moving forward, we will strengthen preventive oral health policies and further develop oral health projects to make Hapcheon a place renowned for healthy teeth, thereby extending the healthy lifespan of our residents."

Meanwhile, through the implementation of these diverse oral health projects, Hapcheon County has gone beyond one-off educational sessions, encouraging residents to develop and maintain healthy oral habits on their own, which has led to long-term prevention of oral diseases.