The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on several things, including the patient’s perspective on periodontal treatment. This can be seen from the decrease in public awareness of dental and oral health as well as routine dental care. The perception that visiting to the dentist will increase the risk of transmitting the corona virus–through the dentist, the tools, as well as the risk of transmission to other patients–has made the patient choose to postpone all dental treatment needed until the Covid-19 pandemic ends. Against this background, the Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia (FKG UI) again held community service activities (pengmas) in a form of online counseling with materials on periodontal care during a pandemic.
This program involved various parties including UI students, Indonesian Periodontist Association (IPERI), and Indonesian Dentists Association (PDGI) in Depok. This online community service activity was attended by Chairman of the PDGI Depok City Branch drg. Setiawan Witjaksana, Sp.Ort, Vice Chairman of IPERI Komda Jaya Dr. drg. Natalina, Sp.Perio(K), and more than 300 UI students class of 2018 from various faculties involved in this community service. The online counseling conducted by FKG UI Periodontics Department raised the theme “Periodental Care Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic”. Head of the community service program drg. Benso Sulijaya, Sp.Perio(K), Ph.D. said the activity entitled PeriShare Social Service is a form of practicing the Tridarma of Higher Education which was held in order to educate students about dental support networks. PeriShare Social Service is expected to be the widest discussion forum for students to dig deeper into knowledge about periodontal tissue care.
Through this PKM activity, it is hoped that it can provide understanding and education to UI students from class of 2018 regarding the importance of periodontal treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Head of Periodontics Department of FKG UI drg. Robert Lessang, Sp.Perio(K). He hoped that the counseling which was carried out routinely and online will not reduce the essence of social service activities. Dr. drg Natalina Sp. Perio(K) understood that there was a lack of available information regarding UI students’ perceptions of periodontal treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Through this PKM activity it is hoped that it can provide a thorough understanding and education to the wider community and especially UI students from class of 2018 regarding the importance of periodontal treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
This was welcomed by drg Setiawan Wijaksana. He hoped that the knowledge gained from this community service activity could benefit the wider community and improve the value of dental and oral health. Drg. Benso explained that the FKG UI Periodontics team consisted of 40 members consisting of lecturers and students of the periodontist specialist dentist program. Not only that, the material preparation team has also prepared interesting information regarding the health of the periodontal tissues during the Covid-19 pandemic. Video recordings during the community service event which was held on October 17, 2021 can be watched on the Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC7urgscTKlm19FEcuZ7nVDw to become informative media for the community in general so that this program can develop, be sustainable and be beneficial .
Online community service like this can be a solution as well as a means of information and education regarding dental and oral health that can be reached by Indonesian society at large during the pandemic.
