Promoting oral health during lockdown

Fourth-year dental students at UCC used their time during lockdown to create a series of infographics to help encourage children to look after their oral health.

With help from Charlie Ruxton of UCC Audio Visual Media Services, a suite of five colourful infographics was developed.
Dr Siobhán Lucey, Lecturer and Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry in the Cork University Dental School and Hospital, explains how the project came about: “Due to the restrictions that came into force in March 2020, our teaching had moved entirely online. This group assignment was designed to inspire and enhance student engagement on several levels: encouraging connections between the learners as peers and colleagues, but also connecting the students more deeply with the curriculum. The concept was inspired by the increasing use of visual strategies for communicating health and well-being messages to the public. I was also cognisant that children’s access to oral healthcare services was severely limited during the lockdown. I felt it was an opportune moment for us to simultaneously reinforce preventive messages in the area of children’s oral healthcare, while also encouraging our students to embrace their future role as oral health professionals. The Cork University Dental School and Hospital is privileged to serve the community and we hope that this work will contribute to improving the oral health of children both locally and nationally”.
The infographics are available here.