To improve the quality of dental care for children in remote areas, the Yunlin County government invested over NT$12 million to equip 12 schools in nine townships, including Kouhu, Yuanchang, and Baozhong, with two dental chairs per school. On September 4th, Xialun Elementary School in Kouhu Township officially launched the new dental equipment.
The county government stated that these 12 schools will serve as hubs for a “Satellite Mobile Medical Service for Schools in Remote Areas.” This project, a collaboration between the Department of Health and the Yunlin County Dental Association, will not only serve nine townships with limited dental resources but will also be expanded to five counties: Mailiao, Lunbei, Taixi, Dongshi, and Citong. It is expected that students in a total of 14 townships will benefit from the upgraded dental services.
The Yunlin County Dental Association emphasized that staffing shortages are a major issue, with areas like Erlun and Kouhu lacking even a single practicing dentist.
Previously, dental teams had to transport equipment between schools, which was labor-intensive and resulted in poor treatment quality, especially when setting up makeshift clinics in hallways. Now, with fixed dental chairs, dentists will be able to provide more consistent, higher-quality care, ensuring that rural children receive annual dental checkups and treatment.
The county government further noted that many families in rural Yunlin County are dual-income or raised by grandparents, making it difficult for parents to take their children to distant dental clinics.
Due to a lack of resources, children’s oral health is often neglected, impacting their overall development. By installing dental equipment directly in schools and collaborating closely with health departments and dentists, this initiative will increase the frequency of checkups and treatments, ensuring that students have timely access to reliable dental care.