Successful Implementation of the Volunteer Project “Happy Smile” at the Dental Faculty of Usmu as a Part of the Educational Process

Abstract

Subject. In 2017, the “Happy Smile” project was developed at the dental faculty of the Ural State Medical University and its active implementation began, during which teachers and students conduct preventive measures in educational institutions, shopping centers, hospitals of the city.
 The goal is to increase the literacy of the population in relation to the prevention of oral diseases, as well as the quality of life of the population by reducing the level of dental morbidity, the formation of professional and super-professional competencies of a modern graduate dentist.
 Methodology. According to WHO, the prevalence of dental diseases does not tend to decrease. An urgent task today is the development of programs and projects aimed at the health of the population.
 Results. In 2017, the staff of the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry and Propaedeutics of Dental Diseases of the Ural State Medical University took the initiative to create a Happy Smile preventive project at the faculty. The main objectives of the project were: the creation of a comprehensive preventive program covering all age groups of the population; carrying out activities aimed at updating the preservation and maintenance of dental health; improving the quality of medical (dental) education by involving students in medical volunteering; expansion of the territory of events to nearby cities of the Sverdlovsk region.
 Conclusions. Participation in the project forms significant professional and supra-professional competencies of students, which helps to improve the quality of training of future dentists. The involvement of students in the implementation of the project will increase their relevance in the labor market. Implementation of the project is a health-saving technology that reduces dental incidence in Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk Region.