Efforts to increase Dental Health attendance rates in local governments: 15 years of history of the “Oral Health Checkup” project in Minato-City, Tokyo

Abstract

Since fiscal 2008, Minato-City in Tokyo has been conducting the “Oral Health Checkup” project with an emphasis on dental health guidance, in order to support the oral health management of city residents. In fiscal 2022, a total of 26,941 persons took the checkup, which was the highest number ever. Minato-City outsources the checkups to the Shiba Dental Association and the Azabu-Akasaka Dental Association of Minato-City, Tokyo, and has established a system in which the checkups can be taken at approximately 250 dental clinics in the city. This paper reports on the dental checkup project, which has been carried out in close collaboration with the local government, dental associations, universities, and other experts for 15 years since the project began, and which aims to improve the dental health behavior of residents.