Jin Kyo-hoon, head of Seoul's Gangseo-gu [Gangseo-gu]
Jin Kyo-hoon, head of Seoul's Gangseo-gu [Gangseo-gu]

Gangseo-gu will run a dental health class series titled "Strong Teeth, Chewing Away at Dementia" at the Gangseo-gu Dementia Care Center from July 7 to 9, holding a total of 10 sessions for 150 seniors living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, the district announced Sunday.

The district will divide participants into three groups — those with mild cognitive impairment, those with general dementia and those with early-onset dementia — and tailor instruction to each group's needs. The sessions will be led by Jang Hyo-suk, an adjunct professor in the dental hygiene department at Hanyang Women's University and academic director of the Korean Association for Dementia Oral Health.

According to a 2023 dementia epidemiological survey the Ministry of Health and Welfare released in March last year, the dementia prevalence rate among Seoul residents aged 65 and older stands at 8.81 percent this year, while the mild cognitive impairment rate reaches 28.03 percent. The mild cognitive impairment rate — representing the stage preceding dementia — has jumped 6.16 percentage points from 21.87 percent in 2016.


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