Last year's home-visit oral care program for 56 mobility-impaired seniors improved oral hygiene by 51.6% and oral function by 19.4%; this year the service expands to 15 facilities including day care centers and senior centers, reaching about 270 elderly residents with tailored dental checkups.
Seongdong-gu in Seoul is expanding its outreach oral care service, sending dental professionals directly to seniors' homes, senior centers and day care facilities to support elderly residents who have difficulty visiting a dentist.
The district joined the Ministry of Health and Welfare's pilot program for visiting oral care for the elderly in 2025, providing personalized dental care to seniors who cannot easily access medical facilities by visiting them at home.
Last year's program served 56 seniors and produced measurable results: oral hygiene improved by 51.6% and oral function by 19.4%. User satisfaction averaged 4.91 out of 5, reflecting strong approval among participants.
Building on last year's results, the district is broadening the scope of its visiting oral care service this year to cover not only private homes but also day care centers, senior centers and other spaces where elderly residents spend their daily lives.
This year the district is particularly focused on expanding outreach to vulnerable seniors who use community facilities. Through a dedicated dental health program, it plans to conduct oral checkups and health education at 15 facilities — including day care centers and senior centers — reaching about 270 seniors with tailored oral health programs designed to reflect the specific needs and characteristics of each facility's users.
In addition, the district will continue this year to provide home-visit services through its senior visiting oral health care project for residents aged 65 and older who have limited mobility or require ongoing dental care.
Eligible seniors are identified through the district office's integrated care division and neighborhood community centers. Once referred, visiting care teams from the public health center coordinate home visits, during which oral health specialists provide dental education and hygiene management suited to each individual's condition. Follow-up monitoring and post-service evaluations are conducted to ensure continuity of care.
The district is also strengthening continuity by linking the program to existing senior care services and local medical resources. It will run a zone-based oral health program in coordination with its own visiting health care initiative, and will work with the Seongdong Dental Association and other local medical providers to connect seniors who need treatment with appropriate care services.
"This year we are expanding our visiting oral care service beyond the home to day care centers and senior centers, bringing us even closer to seniors in their everyday lives," Seongdong-gu District Mayor Yoo Bo-hwa said. "We will continue to actively link local resources and professional expertise to strengthen Seongdong's visiting oral care system so that every senior in our community can enjoy a healthy old age."
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