NERS NEWS— Surabaya, August 7, 2026 – Students of the Nursing Professional Program, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), through the Community and Family Nursing Clinical Rotation, Wave 1 of the B27 Nursing Professional Program, conducted a health education session entitled “How to Maintain Dental Health: Healthy Teeth, Great Smiles” for students of the Dahlia Integrated Early Childhood Education Post (PPT) in RW 3, Dukuh Sutorejo. The activity was carried out as a promotive and preventive effort to increase knowledge and establish healthy dental and oral care habits from an early age.
The educational session was delivered through presentations, animated videos, demonstration materials, and a question-and-answer session. The children were introduced to the importance of maintaining dental health, the differences between healthy and unhealthy teeth, foods that support dental health, foods and beverages that can cause tooth decay, tools used for brushing teeth, and the appropriate times to brush their teeth. The children also had the opportunity to practice proper tooth-brushing techniques under the guidance of facilitators.
The activity was held on Friday, August 7, 2026, at the Dahlia Integrated Early Childhood Education Post (PPT), RW 3, Dukuh Sutorejo, and lasted for 30 minutes. The activity was part of the Nursing Professional Education Practice conducted by the Faculty of Nursing, UNAIR, through Kalijudan Community Health Center (Puskesmas Kalijudan). The activity involved students from the B27 Nursing Professional Program, consisting of Groups 1, 2, and 3 in Kalijudan.
The activity was conducted based on the results of an initial survey involving 91 children, which showed that 52 children (57.1%) did not brush their teeth regularly, while 18 children (19.8%) had previously experienced toothache. These findings highlight the need for health education to increase children’s knowledge and establish regular tooth-brushing habits from an early age.
Through this activity, the children were expected to understand the importance of maintaining dental and oral health and develop the habit of brushing their teeth regularly, namely after breakfast and before going to bed at night. The education also aimed to help children recognize foods that are beneficial for dental health and limit the consumption of foods and beverages high in sugar, which can increase the risk of tooth decay.
This health education activity supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, through promotive and preventive efforts to increase awareness and promote healthy dental and oral behaviors among children.
- SDG 4: Quality Education, through health education tailored to the characteristics of young children using educational methods, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through the involvement of the Faculty of Nursing, UNAIR, Nursing Professional Program students, Kalijudan Community Health Center, and Dahlia Integrated Early Childhood Education Post in implementing the health education activity.
The “Healthy Teeth, Great Smiles” activity represents one of the contributions made by UNAIR Nursing Professional Program students to improving community health awareness from an early age. Through interactive education and hands-on practice, the children are expected to develop healthy dental care habits in their daily lives with support from their parents and school environment.
This activity is expected to serve as an initial step toward establishing clean and healthy living behaviors and improving children’s overall health. Providing health education from an early age is also expected to help develop positive habits that can be maintained as children grow into adulthood.
Writer: Maria Gorety Metboki
