Say ‘aaah’: Members of the visually impaired community being given free dental check-ups as part of the activities during World Braille Day in Kuala Lumpur. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
New initiative to demystify oral health
KUALA LUMPUR: The visually-impaired can now experience an innovative approach to empowering oral health literacy through the “Feel The Smile” Flip Chart.
The joint effort by the Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya Health Department dental division and the Malaysian Association for The Blind (MAB) was launched in conjunction with World Braille Day 2026 on Sunday.
It uses grade 1 and grade 2 Braille Code for individuals who are completely blind and coloured visual materials for those with partial vision disabilities.
Department director Datin Dr Haliza Abdul Manaf, who launched the initiative yesterday, stressed the importance of health literacy among those with special vision needs in line with the aspirations of Universal Health Coverage by the World Health Organisation.
“The Health Ministry is currently implementing reforms by shifting from the ‘sick-care’ concept to ‘health-care’ which is based on disease prevention. The ‘Feel The Smile’ slide chart is a manifestation of this effort,” she said.
“This initiative is also reinforced by the national prevention slogan: ‘Remember the Day, Remember the Dentist’, to encourage annual routine check-ups.”
Dr Haliza said data from the National Oral Health Survey of Adults (Nohsa) 2020 showed the prevalence of dental caries (tooth decay) reached 85.1%, with gum disease (periodontal) at 94.5%.
In terms of tooth loss among the elderly, she said two out of three elderly people in Malaysia (65.7%) have fewer than 20 natural teeth.
“Health literacy also revealed that seven out of 10 people have the wrong perception that they do not have dental problems, which results in treatment only being sought when they are sick,” she pointed out.
Besides the launch of the flip chart, the department continues to be committed through the provision of special needs dental service facilities, mobile dental clinics and the use of the “Tell-Feel-Do” clinical communication technique to reduce patient anxiety during treatment.
MAB deputy president Datin Fauziah Mohd Ramly said dental health played a vital role in a person’s physical, emotional and social well-being. She said untreated dental problems could cause long-term pain, affect eating, speech and self-confidence.
“For the blind and visually impaired community, dental health challenges are often compounded when preventive and treatment information is not presented in an easily understood and accessible format.
“As such, dental health education using tactile approaches, oral explanations and materials in Braille is essential,” she said, congratulating the ministry for initiating the Braille prescription label initiative.
The MAB is also holding several activities as part of the World Braille Day including ‘My Name in Braille Activity Sheet’, a mini-exhibition featuring Braille equipment and a free check-up by the ministry and Cheras Dental Clinic mobile dental clinic.
At the event, the Kiwanis Club of Damansara and the Kiwanis Children Foundation presented their donation of RM37,000 to build the Tactile Learning Centre for Children at the HT Ong Library & Resource Centre.
