Dental Services of the International Summer Camp Event: Experiences from the 25th World Scout Jamboree, South Korea

Abstract

This study aims to analyze dental care at the 25<sup>th</sup> World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) using a predesigned standardized dental chart to provide a reference for the operation of dental emergency clinics at future large-scale youth events. The dental charts of all patients treated at the 25<sup>th</sup> WSJ emergency dental clinic were examined. Fisher’s exact tests were used to analyze the differences between youth scouts and adult leaders. Eighty visits of 71 patients were included in the study. The largest number of patients was from Asia-Pacific (49.3%), followed by patients from Europe (40.8%). In terms of chief complaints, oral ulcers (19.7%), lesions of the lips (18.3%), and orthodontic discomfort (15.5%) were the most prevalent. The analysis showed a significant difference (<i>p</i> = 0.0023) between youth scouts and adult leaders in the distribution of patients in the first half (July 30<sup>th</sup> - August 3<sup>rd</sup>) and second half (August 4<sup>th</sup> - August 8<sup>th</sup>) of the event. There was a higher incidence of dental conditions associated with hot and humid environments, unlike typical emergency dental settings. Therefore, despite adequate preparation, unexpected dental visits may occur, and it is recommended that operations be conducted in community-based dental hospitals to allow for immediate and efficient responses in international camps.