Gyeonggi Province has provided free dental check-ups to 790,000 fourth-grade elementary school students over the past seven years through its elementary school student dental home doctor program. Parental satisfaction with the program was recorded at 96%.
On November 20, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government held an 'Evaluation Meeting for the Gyeonggi Province Elementary School Student Dental Home Doctor Program' at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building, reviewing the achievements of the initiative implemented from 2019 to 2025. The evaluation meeting was attended by relevant experts, who analyzed the results and discussed directions for policy improvement.
The Gyeonggi Province Elementary School Student Dental Home Doctor Program is a universal healthcare welfare policy that provides free oral examinations, preventive care, and oral health education to fourth-grade elementary school students. The program also supports oral health management for children with disabilities of the same age group, out-of-school youth, and undocumented migrant children.
From the first year of the program in 2019 through September 2025, 790,000 students participated in dental home doctor check-ups. The average participation rate was 92.2%. In particular, parental satisfaction among those who took part in the program averaged 96%, indicating a positive response from both children and their guardians.
Additionally, the number of participating medical institutions increased from 1,748 in 2019 to 2,363 as of September 2025.
Through this evaluation meeting, Gyeonggi Province conducted a detailed analysis of operational challenges, including addressing regional disparities in participation rates and expanding involvement among children from vulnerable groups.
In particular, discussions included plans to enhance the functions of the computerized system to precisely monitor participation rates and oral health indicators by city and county, as well as to introduce customized promotional strategies for parents to further increase participation.
There was also a suggestion that tailored approaches are needed for groups who are easily excluded from universal healthcare benefits, such as out-of-school youth and students with disabilities.
Lee Jongik, Director of Health Promotion at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The province's child oral health management system has achieved meaningful results over the past seven years," adding, "We will strengthen the institutional foundation so that more children can benefit in the future, and we will utilize information systems to enhance the efficiency and equity of program operations."
Meanwhile, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, as of last year, the permanent tooth caries experience rate (children currently with caries, or those who have received treatment or extraction) among 12-year-olds was 60.3% nationwide and 58.9% in Gyeonggi Province. The prevalence rate of permanent tooth caries was 7.3% nationwide and 7.1% in Gyeonggi Province. The number of permanent teeth with caries experience (currently with caries, or treated or extracted teeth) was 1.94 nationwide and 1.66 in Gyeonggi Province, indicating that children in Gyeonggi Province had relatively better oral health.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
