The Faculty of Dentistry at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKG UGM) organized a community service event on Friday (21/06). Themed “Healthy Smiles for Children with Disabilities”, the event was aimed at children with special needs at Samara Bunda Special School in Yogyakarta.
This community service was initiated by the Pediatric Dentistry Specialist Program as a pre-event for the Integration of Parents, Teachers, and Technology for the Independence of Oral Health Maintenance for Special School Students program. “This event is a preliminary agenda. There will be a main event scheduled approximately one month later,” said Dr. drg. Indra Bramanti, Sp.KGA (K), M.Sc.
The event provided free dental and oral care to the students, including tartar cleaning, filling cavities, tooth extraction, and topical fluoride application. Additionally, consultation sessions were held with a psychologist in collaboration with the team from the UGM Faculty of Psychology.
The visit from FKG UGM received positive feedback from the school. Rahayu Pujiati, the principal, expressed gratitude to FKG UGM for conducting dental health checks for the students. “This activity is very beneficial for children with special needs, particularly in raising their awareness about the importance of maintaining oral hygiene. We hope this good collaboration can continue in the future,” said Rahayu.
Through this community service, it is hoped that students from the Pediatric Dentistry Specialist Program at FKG UGM will gain a comprehensive understanding of dental issues in special needs children and develop practical and solution-oriented care plans as part of their quality specialist training.
This inclusive-based oral health improvement effort aims to enhance the quality of life for special needs individuals in Indonesia and supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Author: Nadia Fauzia | Editor: Fajar Budi H.
