“Zero Cavity” project enters Tashan Garden Kindergarten

China: Yantai Stomatological Hospital held its “Zero Cavity Kindergarten” event at the Tashan Garden of Yantai Municipal Organ Kindergarten. A team of experts from the hospital provided oral health examination, caries risk assessment and topical fluoride for the children at the early learning facility.

Through the “Zero Cavity Kindergarten” project, the hospital has already provided oral health intervention for 1,700 children in three parks of Yantai municipal kindergarten for the second time.

“Topical fluoride in the oral cavity is an effective means of preventing caries,” said Park Zhi, a dentist in oral preventive medicine at Yantai Stomatological Hospital, addressing the media. “It can enhance the ability of teeth to resist acid erosion, which is equivalent to putting a layer of ‘protective clothing’ on the teeth.”

Before applying the topical fluoride, the team carried out a comprehensive oral health examination for the children, including a caries risk assessment based on the oral health status of each child. Parents are also required to fill up feedback forms to provide more details about their child’s oral health.

“We hope to gather the strengths of hospitals, schools and families to build and weave a dense protective net to effectively protect children’s oral health,” said Dr Xia Longliang, head of the Department of Oral Prevention, Yantai Stomatological Hospital.

“For children currently at the transition stage from milk to permanent teeth, teachers will usually talk to them about how to take care of their teeth and teach them how to brush their teeth properly,” said Dr Song Caihong, a health doctor in Tashan Park, a kindergarten of Yantai municipal government, adding that in the future, teachers in the park will carry out oral health education in a more targeted manner.

 “ The children’s oral health needs not only require the guidance of kindergartens and the attention of hospitals, but also parents and children themselves, in order to provide more protection for their oral health,” said Fan Hong, director of the Tashan Garden, a kindergarten at the municipal level in Yantai City.

“Yantai Stomatological Hospital will regularly spread the knowledge of children’s oral health to parents through various channels, so that parents can also realize the importance of children’s dental health, and work with hospitals and kindergartens to protect children’s oral health.”

Initiated by the China Dental Disease Prevention and Control Foundation, the “Zero Cavity Kindergarten” project focuses on the prevention of dental caries, and promotes comprehensive intervention measures such as oral health education for children, oral health guidance, full-mouth fluoride protection, pits and fissure sealing, and dental caries filling.

The project aims to raise awareness of anti-cavity and dental caries treatments to kindergarten children and their parents, with a view to making children more resilient to dental caries during the three-year period between entering and leaving the kindergarten. “The children’s oral health need long-term attention. This year coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the hospital. As the implementation unit of the ‘Zero Cavity Kindergarten’ project in Yantai City, Yantai Stomatological Hospital will continue to carry out oral health care for children and protect the health of Yantai children with practical actions. Oral health, and jointly build a ‘caries-free childhood’,” said Dr Xia.