The Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKG UGM) has launched the KaderMu UGM application, a digital learning and assistance platform designed to help community health cadres monitor and maintain children’s dental health. The launch event was held at the University Club Hotel on Monday (Nov. 17), in conjunction with the Monitoring and Evaluation of Training and the Inauguration of Child Dental Health Cadres.
The KaderMu application is expected to serve as a practical tool for both community health (posyandu) cadres and educational cadres. It is designed for ease of use in the field, enabling cadres to record children’s dental health status in a simple and standardized manner.
Cadres can also screen for risk factors such as brushing habits, consumption of sugary foods or drinks, and pain complaints. Through the app, they can quickly provide parents with education on when children should brush their teeth, proper brushing techniques, and daily preventive measures.
Professor Regina T.C. Tandelilin, one of the initiators, stated that the launch and training activities for the KaderMu UGM application aim to strengthen early detection of children’s dental health at the community level.
She emphasized that children’s oral and dental health is not merely about having a beautiful smile, but it is directly linked to appetite, growth and development, learning, concentration, self-confidence, and even the overall quality of family life.
“Many dental problems in children, such as early childhood caries, improper brushing habits, excessive sugar intake, and delayed access to dental care, are actually preventable if early detection and timely action are taken,” Professor Tandelilin said at FKG UGM on Friday (Nov. 21).
Regarding the KaderMu application, Professor Tandelilin explained that it is specifically designed to help cadres monitor and improve children’s dental health more effectively and efficiently.
“In this training, everyone is learning how to use the KaderMu application to monitor children’s dental status, provide dental health education, and conduct appropriate follow-up,” she noted.
Furthermore, Professor Tandelilin highlighted that the application offers three main features: an authentication system to ensure data security and validity; a learning feature organized by modules, complete with quizzes; and an offline access feature that allows the application to be used even without a stable internet connection.
She affirmed that technology only becomes meaningful when it strengthens the role of humans. Therefore, the success of this program ultimately relies on the dedication and care of cadres who serve as the frontline of community education.
“We hope that following today’s launch and inauguration, KaderMu UGM will become a learning partner, a data partner, and an agent of change which will ease the workload of cadres while bringing health services closer to the community,” she said.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya