The purpose of this study was to develop a model for School based Oral health care
program in Korea. We established school dental clinic at Mockcheon primary school in
1989 and offered the comprehensive oral health care for all students from 1992 to 1998.
Public health dentist and dental hygienist directed this program and dental students and
dental hygienist's students of Dankook University School of Dentistry have been
providing all dental services under the supervision of a public health dentist.
Primary preventive care such as pit and fissure sealing, fluoride mouth-rinse, fluoride
topical applications, tooth-brushing instruction, oral prophylaxis, were provided to all of
the participants by the students under the supervision of public health dentists.
Data for DMFT index and demands of dental sealant were collected annually. The
amounts of cost and time consumptions for this program were also monitored.
The results obtained for this study were as followings :
1. The combined school based oral health care program in Mockcheon primary school
resulted a reduction of 45.2% in caries incidence after 7 years of implementation.
2. The school based oral health care program tested in this program reduced an
average of 37.8% of dental sealant demands, 19.5% of working time and 75.6% in
treatment cost for school children after 7 years of implementation.
3. If we establish the school dental clinic at the every primary school in Korea, we
need the 158,554,720,800won and public dentist and dental hygienist are required 4,973
and 7,988 persons at first care stage in school based oral health care programme.
4. It is therefore suggested that the school based oral health care program is an
effective means of public health project for school children in Korea.
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