Semarang, 26 April 2025 – The Health and Social Care Festival 2025, with the theme ‘The Importance of Dental Health Education in Preventing Tooth Decay,’ ran smoothly overall. This event was held offline in the form of a socialization programme on 26 April 2025 at SD/MI Al Khaeriyah, Jabungan Village, Banyumanik Sub-district, Semarang City. During the event, there were 71 participants consisting of SD/MI Al Khaeriyah students from grades 1-5. This HSCF event focused on dental health counseling, with the primary objective of introducing and educating children about the importance of maintaining dental health from an early age. The material presented covered proper tooth brushing techniques, types of food to avoid, the number of teeth in children, and various other topics related to dental health.

The HSCF 2025 event began with the committee departing from Tembalang at 06:40 and arriving at the venue at 07:00. Upon arrival at the venue, the committee made various preparations before the event began. The event commenced at 08:00 with an opening by the MC, followed by a speech from the principal of SD/MI Al Khaeriyah, then a speech from the chairperson of HSCF 2025, Shabrina Aulia Defana, and a speech from the chairperson of HIMPS 2025 (Aliffia Gaida Natasha). Following the opening and speeches, the next activity was the introduction of the speakers by the MC at 08:35.

At 08:45, Nurul Amirah delivered a presentation on the theme of ‘The Importance of Dental Health Education in Preventing Cavities,’ followed by a question-and-answer session with three questions. Students who were able to answer the questions were given gifts in the form of books and pencils. At 09:45, the speaker and other committee members invited the students out of the classroom to practise brushing their teeth. The speaker provided instructions on how to brush teeth properly to ensure they are thoroughly clean. After the toothbrushing practice, the committee distributed free toothpaste to the students, followed by a documentation session at 10:40 a.m. The documentation session also included the presentation of certificates to the speaker and the school principal. After everything was completed, from 10:50 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the MC closed the event, and the students were allowed to go home.

As a guest speaker, Nurul Amirah, a 2022 student at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Diponegoro, presented the material communicatively and interactively aimed at students of Al-Khaeriyah Jabungan Elementary School/Islamic Elementary School. The presentation was delivered through simple explanations, question and answer sessions, and hands-on activities involving all participants. The presentation began with interactive questions about the number of teeth humans have, as well as the differences between baby teeth and adult teeth. Next, the types of teeth based on their functions were explained, such as for cutting, biting, and chewing food to make it easier to swallow.

Then, the important functions of teeth in daily life were explained, namely, for speaking, smiling, and chewing food. The material was interspersed with a short story about a child named Doni who experienced a toothache due to poor dental hygiene. This story aimed to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining dental health. After that, the three main steps in dental care were explained, namely eating healthy foods, brushing teeth twice a day, and having regular dental check-ups every six months. The presentation concluded with an invitation to always maintain dental hygiene and cheerful smiles from the children, which illustrated the spirit of maintaining dental health, as well as hands-on practice with the children on how to brush their teeth properly.

This activity aims to demonstrate the contribution of students as the younger generation who strive to educate and raise awareness about the importance of maintaining dental health to prevent cavities by conducting a socialisation programme themed ‘The Importance of Dental Health Education in Preventing Cavities’ for children at Al-Khaeriyah Jabungan Elementary School/Islamic Elementary School.

The expected outcome after participating in a series of HSCF activities organised by the Universitas Diponegoro Social Care Student Association is for the children of Al-Khaeriyah Jabungan Elementary School/Islamic Elementary School to gain insight, sensitivity, and awareness of the importance of maintaining dental health to prevent cavities.

From the enthusiasm of the participants, their active involvement in the discussion sessions during the presentation of dental health material, and the successful practice of proper tooth brushing techniques, it can be concluded that the objectives of the work programme have been successfully achieved. The children were enthusiastic about participating in the entire series of activities and were able to understand the information presented.

The hope for the continuation of the Health Social Care Festival programme organised by the Universitas Diponegoro Social Care Student Association is that this activity will become an educational and inspirational means of raising public awareness of the importance of physical, mental, and social health. It is hoped that this event will not only be an annual activity but also be able to create an increasingly significant and sustainable positive impact through cross-sector collaboration, expanding the reach of benefits to a wider community, and becoming a forum for developing students’ social spirit, concern, and solidarity towards public health issues.