WILLEMSTAD - Around 500 children from various neighborhoods across Willemstad received free dental check-ups and oral health education on Saturday during the community initiative “Un Smail pa Kòrsou” (A Smile for Curaçao). The event took place at Skol Avansá Amador Nita on Nieuwe Pareraweg in Parera.

The project is a collaboration between the Curaçao Association of Dental Hygienists (NAARVVM), the Help the Schoolchildren of Curaçao Foundation, and dental assistant Zulaijka Pinedo-Brandao, with additional support from the HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen).

The main goal of Un Smail pa Kòrsou is to promote preventive oral health among children aged 0 to 18, combining practical lessons on dental hygiene with professional dental screenings. Each child who participated received a personal oral care package to take home.

To ensure accessibility, the organizers arranged special bus transportation for children from multiple communities, including Steenrijk, Punda, Scharloo, Parera, Dominguito, Janwé, Koraal Specht, and Marie Pampoen, allowing them to travel safely to and from the event.

The initiative reflects a growing commitment within Curaçao’s healthcare community to raise awareness about dental hygiene and preventive care, particularly among the island’s youth. Organizers say similar outreach activities are planned to continue reaching more families across the island in the coming months.