Master of Community Dentistry Study Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia (FKG UI) carried out community service activities in the form of social services to pregnant women in Pontianak, Bandung, and Depok. This activity carried the theme “SEHATI, Senyum Sehat Ibu Hamil (Healthy Smile of Pregnant Women)” which was carried out online through Zoom meeting .
According to coordinator of SEHATI social service activity, drg. Nuzulisa Zulkifli, this community service was rooted from FKG UI’s concern for the oral health of pregnant women in Indonesia. According to Dr. Nuzulisa Zulkifli, this community service activity was rooted from FKG UI’s concern for the dental and oral health of pregnant women in Indonesia. “This SEHATI social service is expected to be carried out on an ongoing basis because there is the involvement of the public health center as a companion for pregnant women participating in the activity who will continue to monitor the dental and oral health of pregnant women. Furthermore, the participants can forward this program to other pregnant women so that the ultimate goal of increasing the degree of health starting from pregnant women can be realized,” he said.
This community service activity was carried out last month and divided into several activities, including dental and oral health assessments carried out by each individual pregnant woman(self-assessment)via google form,educational counseling, and promotion of dental and oral health simultaneously through Zoom meetingand hands-on practice of dental and oral hygiene by each individual pregnant woman. In addition, FKG UI community service activities also provided online consultations via the Gigi.id smartphone application and WhatsApp groups, and donated oral health packages for pregnant women containing toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste, fluoride varnish, disclosing solution, and baking soda.
The delivery of counseling material in community service activities was delivered by drg. Ratri Dini Prasiwi, representatives of Master of Community Dentistry students, on “Oral and Dental Health of Pregnant Women”, “Instruction on Toothbrushing Techniques, Rinsing, Fluoride Varnish Application”, as well as the introduction of SEHATI pocket book.
The service team also showed videos related to how to brush teeth properly, how to rinse your mouth, fluoride varnish application, disclosing solution, and how to make household mouthwash solution using sodium bicarbonate. The last activity of SEHATI social service is hands-on practice by the participants.
The practices was started from brushing teeth together, applying disclosing solution for plaque control, using fluoride varnish , and making household mouthwash as well as gargling practices to reduce nausea in pregnant women when brushing teeth. The social service activity was closed with a post-test and symbolic certificate distribution and door prizes for the participants.
The purpose of this activity was to increase awareness and knowledge of pregnant women about the importance of maintaining oral health and other information about pregnancy. This activity was attended by 90 participants consisting of pregnant women, health cadres, the midwives of public health center, and the heads of publice health center from each region and was also attended by the Chairman, teaching staff, and master students of Community Dentistry Study Program of FKG UI
The participants seemed very enthusiastic about participating in this community service activity. “Activities like this are very good because during the Covid-19 pandemic there is rarely direct counseling and this activity, even though it is online, can increase my knowledge and ability to care for my teeth,” said Junita, one of the pregnant women participating in the activity when conveying messages and impressions after the social service activity took place.
“Hopefully, through this community service activity, it can expand insight of pregnant women regarding the importance of oral health which greatly affects the health of pregnant women and the fetus they are carrying so that the pregnancy is not disrupted, and healthy fetal development is well supported,” said drg. Nuzulisa
