Ulaanbaatar — Mobile dental clinics operated by the Misheel Kids Foundation (MKF) are traveling across Mongolia to address widespread childhood dental problems affecting hundreds of thousands of children nationwide. The initiative aims to provide much-needed oral healthcare services in remote and underserved areas where access to dental treatment is limited or nonexistent.

Mongolia faces a significant public health challenge due to high rates of tooth decay among children. According to MKF’s paediatric dentist and project manager, Namuunaa, approximately nine in ten children in the country suffer from dental caries. The condition is attributed to increased consumption of sugary snacks and sodas combined with insufficient oral hygiene knowledge, particularly among children in poor suburban districts of the capital and rural communities.

Since the dissolution of Soviet influence over three decades ago, Mongolian dietary patterns have shifted from traditional consumption of meat and dairy products to include a growing availability of processed and sugary foods. This dietary change has coincided with rapid urbanization and lifestyle shifts in the population of 3.6 million people. Many parents and schools provide little instruction on proper dental care, leaving children vulnerable to untreated oral health issues. Dentists are more readily available in Ulaanbaatar, but demand for services remains higher and largely unmet in rural areas.

The MKF, founded by Swiss dental hygienist Gabriella Schmidt-Corsitto, operates a fleet of mobile dental clinics that navigate Mongolia’s vast terrain and extreme climate to deliver free dental screenings, cleanings, and treatments. These mobile "dental treks" offer a range of services including root canal therapy and tooth extractions, often serving 50 to 80 children daily during outreach visits.

The foundation’s new dental health center is located in one of Ulaanbaatar’s underprivileged “ger districts,” named after the traditional nomadic tents. The center provides dental care and hosts training programs aimed at educating community members to become oral health trainers, extending the reach of education and prevention efforts.

Local residents, such as Alimaa, a mother of five from the Arkhangai province, have expressed appreciation for the program. She noted that unlike her childhood, when sugary treats were uncommon, today's children frequently encounter sweet snacks and sodas. In response, she now prefers traditional dried curd snacks to limit her children’s sugar intake.

MKF relies primarily on funding from European foundations, private donors, and some government support. While the organization acknowledges that its resources are insufficient to cover the entire country, its efforts provide a potential model for broader oral health initiatives. Namuunaa emphasized the need for increased government involvement and funding to expand access and improve dental health education nationwide.