1. Project for oral health promotion in blind and visually impaired persons
Project leader:
Jelena Dumancic, DMD, PhD
Assistant professor, Family dentistry specialist, Department of Dental Anthropology,
School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
E-mail: dumancic@sfzg.hr
Project for oral health promotion in blind and visually impaired persons has started in
2014 in cooperation with Croatian Blind Union and Zagreb Association of Blind Persons. The
project gained financial support of the City of Zagreb. The primary goals are improvement of
oral health in visually impaired persons and issuing guidelines for the undergraduate dental
education that would enable dental students, future dentists, to accept and treat patients with
disabilities.
Project offers dental exams, prophylaxis, preventive procedures and oral hygiene instructions in
an individual approach to the users – blind and visually impaired persons. Education on oral
health was also organized in the form of public lectures for the adults and in the form of
playschool for children. Eighteen students- volunteers joined the Project team in 2014 and
participated in clinical work and also as sighted guides.
With Project activities we have advanced in achieving the goals - the promotion of oral
health of blind and visually impaired and inclusion of students in oral health care for persons
with disabilities. Participating in the Project, students develop a sense of social responsibility and
gain experience and knowledge for their future practice. Ultimately, we expect the Project to
result in better dentist - patient relationship and better oral health care for people with
disabilities.
Project is supported by Colgate Palmolive, Dentatus Sweden and Curaprox.