10 November 2022
Threesna Sharfina
The opening of the National Dental Health Month (BKGN) 2022 event was marked by a gong strike performed by the USU Rector's representative, Muhammad Anggia Muchtar St MMIT, Director of the USU Directorate of Education and Development. The event occurred at the Nazir Alwi Room, Faculty of Dentistry, USU, on November 9, 2022.
This event kicked off a series of National Dental Health Month (BKGN) activities, which lasted for three days, from November 9 to 11, 2022. The two main activities of the event were Teledentistry and Free Dental Treatment. The BKGN 2022 series also included outreach to schools as part of the School Health Program to educate students on the importance of dental care and proper tooth-brushing techniques. Drg. Ratu Mirah Afifah GCClinDent MDSc, Head of Professional Marketing Personal Care at Unilever Indonesia, emphasized that this was the 13th time the event had been held since 2009, and this year, it involved 25,000 dentists across Indonesia.
Teledentistry was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, USU, involving faculty members, students, and alumni. Teledentistry is an online consultation service where patients receive immediate responses from dentists, ensuring that first-line treatment can be provided and patients are educated on oral health.
Alongside Teledentistry, the Free Dental Treatment program was organized for the public, offering dental services such as scaling, fillings, and simple tooth extractions. A target of 300 patients was set, which was quickly met through registrations via FKG USU's Instagram. In just three days, over 300 patients registered, exceeding expectations.
“We were surprised by the high enthusiasm of those registering for dental care assistance. Within less than three days, our Instagram was flooded with more than 300 registrations,” said Dr. Essie Octiara, drg., Sp.KGA, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, USU.
This enthusiasm also carried over to the Teledentistry service, with over 70 patients already registered within half a day, which was unexpected by the organizers. With the BKGN 2022 event lasting for three days, this number was anticipated to rise further.
