Support the program of caries-free Indonesia in 2030: Optimizing oral health promotion at an early age

Abstract

The government through the Indonesian Ministry of Health has designed the program of caries-free Indonesia in 2030. To support the program, this community service activity was conducted through the counseling and examination of dental caries among the students of SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Yogyakarta. This program aimed to depict the overview of the students' oral health and encourage them to improve and maintain their oral health. Pre-event oral screening was conducted for participant selection. The counseling was done through presentation, with pre- and post-test. Oral hygiene index simplified (OHI-S) and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF-T) assessments were performed following the counseling session. Dental and oral health counseling are considered to be able to increase the understanding of students about the importance of maintaining oral and dental health by 73.3%. The OHI-S examination showed that 80% students had improved dental and oral conditions. Students participating in counseling and examination were assessed to have a prevalence of “moderate” caries, based on DMF-T examination. This community service is expected to increase understanding and motivation to maintain dental and oral health from an early age.