What Is the Student Dentist Program at Seonyudo Dental Clinic?!: How to Prevent Cavities in Children

“Isn’t there a way to prevent cavities in children in advance?”

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There are really many people with related questions.

While hoping that a child’s teeth will not have any problems, they try to brush carefully at home,

but if the child refuses because they don’t like it, it is hard to clean thoroughly, and when going out for outdoor activities, it is difficult to get them to brush at all.

So I recommend checking the condition of the mouth at regular intervals, so that childhood cavities or gum disease can be addressed before they get worse.

There are certainly limits to home care.

It is natural for some things to be missed, and diseases with no symptoms can be difficult to detect early.

So I think a checkup at a hospital once every 6 to 12 months is necessary.

So today, at Seonyudo Dental Clinic, I would like to introduce the [Student Dentist Program], which is needed to protect our child’s oral health.

Seonyudo Dental Clinic Oral Information What kind of program is it?

It is a system in which children visit every semester during the pilot operation period and receive continuous, comprehensive checkups, education, and preventive services.

Visit a medical institution participating in the program, apply for a designated dentist, and then visit regularly each semester according to a set schedule to receive services.

In the 1st semester, you can visit between March and August,

and in the 2nd semester, you can visit between September and February of the following year

to receive the services.

The eligible beneficiaries change every year. I will explain this in detail at Seonyudo Dental Clinic.

The places implementing the Student Dentist Program are [Seoul Metropolitan City/Gwangju Metropolitan City/Daejeon Metropolitan City/Sejong Special Self-Governing City/Wonju, Gangwon/Changseong County, Jeonnam/Gyeongju and Uiseong Counties, Gyeongbuk/Gimhae, Gyeongnam].

Last year in 2024, 1st and 2nd grade elementary school students were eligible, but this year 4th and 5th grade students were added as well.

And next year, in 2026, all elementary school grades are expected to become eligible.

Seonyudo Dental Clinic Oral Information What benefits can you receive?

Based on the questionnaire completed after visiting, PHP or food debris examination is performed.

Through this, the hygiene status is evaluated, and if tooth decay or gum inflammation is suspected, additional radiographs are taken for a closer look.

Based on this, we identify what preventive care is needed and create a customized plan.

If necessary, fluoride is applied to prevent childhood cavities, oral health education is provided to improve habits such as brushing, and professional tooth cleaning is performed to remove plaque and tartar.

To reduce the financial burden when receiving these services, even if fluoride application, oral health education, and professional tooth cleaning are performed, only 10% of the cost is charged as the out-of-pocket payment.

Seonyudo Dental Clinic Oral Information How do you participate?

First, you need to find and make a reservation at a medical institution that participates in the child dentist program.

I will share a simple way to find one at home.

Go to the website I attached and enter the [Health Moa] tab,

then click in order:

[Find Checkup Institutions/Hospitals] -> [Find Checkup Institutions/Hospitals]

After that, click [Find Institutions by Characteristics] [Child Dental Home Dentist] in order and search by region or institution name to check whether it participates in the program.

Then, after visiting and filling out the application form and consent form for personal information provision, you can receive the benefits right away on the same day.

My own tip here is to fill out the questionnaire in advance through the National Health Insurance Service website or the The Health app.

That way, waiting time will be reduced and you can receive the benefits more quickly and conveniently. Haha

Seonyudo Dental Clinic Oral Information To conclude...

Based on age 12, there was a survey of how many children had ever had cavities in their permanent teeth.

The OECD average among countries was '1.2 teeth,' while Korea’s average was '1.8 teeth,' according to the survey.

This is a higher proportion than the average. That is why a system to prevent childhood cavities is so urgently needed.

I believe that the [Student Dentist Program] can help reduce the likelihood of tooth decay to some extent.

I hope this was helpful information for protecting children’s oral health, and I’ll end here.

This has been Kim Min-young, a prosthodontics specialist at Seonyudo Dental Clinic. Thank you.