Transforming smiles

Transforming smiles

Oral health care for children and young people in vulnerable situations.

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Origin of the campaign

The campaign was born out of the identification of a very specific need in our socioeducational centers. For years, the teams had observed a growing concern about the oral health of the children they served, especially pain, hygiene difficulties, and lack of access to treatment. This reality affected especially children in social and economic vulnerability. Faced with this situation, in 2016 the Foundation began talks with the ADE (Assistència Dental Europea) clinic to launch a first pilot project that would allow us to better understand the scope of the problem and start addressing it. 

Impact

Since then, the campaign has focused on an issue that goes far beyond the mouth: oral health impacts children's overall health, nutrition, learning, emotional well-being, and quality of life. The report highlights that oral health conditions are more common among the most disadvantaged groups and that healthy habits often require family support and educational guidance. It also underscores that the socioeconomic reality of the neighborhoods where the study was conducted directly shapes children's health. 

Methodology

The methodology began with a pilot study in three socioeducational centers in Barcelona neighborhoods with a below-average family income index: Marina del Port, Raval, and Poble-sec. In total, 139 children aged 3 to 12 were worked with. The project combined several actions: training sessions for educators and teaching teams, educational activities with the children on oral health habits, and individual diagnostic visits conducted by dental professionals. These visits allowed for an accurate snapshot of the children's oral health status and the identification of cases requiring treatment. 

Result

The results confirmed the magnitude of the problem. A total of 139 children were examined, 66% of whom had conditions requiring treatment, such as cavities, root canals, or other dental problems. Among the children with cavities, the average was 3.8 affected teeth per mouth. Additionally, 65.22% had never been to the dentist, and among the children who did not brush their teeth, the prevalence of cavities reached 100% of cases. The report also estimated that the approximate cost to treat all the needs identified across the 23 centers in the Network would be around €60,000.

  • Over the past four years, thanks to this project, more than 200 children and young people out of the 400 cases identified as needing an intervention have been treated.