On January 31st, 2024, a group of staff and fourth stage students from the Faculty of Dentistry at Tishk International University (TIU) visited Ishik Ronaky International School in Erbil, KRG as part of the School Dental Care Project. The project was supervised by the Dean of Students’ Representatives at the Faculty of Dentistry. Dental checkups and education were carried out by the staff of the Pedodontics Department, Dr. Muhammad Salim and Dr. Shara Rasheed, along with the Diagnosis Department staff, Dr. Zainab Zaito, accompanied by fourth-stage students.
The project aimed to conduct dental checkups for school students and provide dental home care instructions. After the checkups, the team from Tishk International University (TIU) visited each class individually and delivered dental education, giving specific and detailed instructions for brushing their teeth.
School dental screening aims to identify oral health concerns at an early stage, hence prompting preventive and therapeutic oral health care for children. The project also provides a way for children to have regular access to preventative dental health and a link to additional treatment services. Stage 1, 2, and 3, comprising 226 students, were checked by the dental staff and students. In addition, case sheets with diagnoses and treatment plans for each of the students were filled out. Information sheets were given to their parents through their teachers to work together hand in hand in maintaining the children’s oral health.
At the end of the dental checkups, a competition was held for the 9th-grade students to test their dental knowledge. SPLAT company, together with TIU, sponsored this event, where gifts were distributed to seven competition winners. The school manager expressed his pleasure and gratitude for arranging such activities to help kids keep their teeth healthy. At the end of the examinations, the Faculty of Dentistry staff and students received appreciation certificates from the school’s directory.
This project was first discussed one month before the commencement day on December 31st, 2023, when the school management contacted TIU and requested dental checkups for their students. A first meeting of the Dean of Students Committee was held on January 8th, 2024, to arrange all the needs of the project. This was followed by a second meeting on January 23rd, and on January 29th, the school management was informed that TIU staff and students would be visiting on January 31st, 2024, and all arrangements were decided.
Keywords: University Students, Medical Education, Medical Students, Participation, Schools, Higher Education, Teachers, Collaboration.
