The Department of Community Dentistry is humbled and honoured to have won the University of Pretoria institutional community engagement (CE) award. This achievement could not have been made without the support of all the staff members, both past and present, who laid down the foundation and principles for the outreach projects we currently undertake. This award must also be shared with the communities that trust us to provide much-needed dental services. Lastly, thanks to the University of Pretoria, the Gauteng Department of Health, and private stakeholders who provide financial, educational, and academic support.

The Department's CE projects are aligned with the UP 2025 strategic goals 4 and 5, which focus on using research for teaching and learning and embedding CE in academia. The projects are also built on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 10 (good health and well-being and reduced inequalities).

The aims of the CE projects include exposing the students to underprivileged communities, providing quality dental care in primary health care (PHC) settings, providing access to dental services for underprivileged communities, improving and maintaining the oral and general health of marginalised communities, and preparing the dental students for their year-long community service programme.

The Department has two mobile dental units (MDUs), one stationed at Daspoort Polyclinic and the other at selected primary schools in underprivileged communities. These MDUs provide a range of basic educational, preventative, and curative dental services as required by the community.

The Department comprises three community dentistry specialists, two registrars, one dentist, and two full-time and three part-time oral hygienists. All staff members are actively involved in the CE projects, fulfilling various roles, including coordination, administration, and supervision. All staff members are integral in planning and maintaining the CE projects and ensuring they run smoothly and efficiently.

The dental and oral hygienist (OH) students work together as a team during the CE projects, preparing them to work in a multidisciplinary team and promoting teamwork and respect between the different oral health cadres. The OH students also work with other disciplines at Daspoort Polyclinic, which further emphasises the roles of different healthcare providers and teaches them the importance of working with other disciplines.

The Department has undertaken various research projects on the impact and perceptions of CE activities among students, the community, and the University. These have been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented both locally and internationally. The key pillar in ensuring these CE projects are sustainable is support from the communities, schools, and private stakeholders, such as Colgate and GSK (formerly known as GlaxoSmithKlein).

The various outreach projects have been shown to improve the students' social and civil responsibilities, and the Department is thankful to the students and communities who have exposed us to their lives and environments. We believe that CE projects must benefit the students, the University, and the communities we serve. Once again, we are humbled and honoured to have won the University of Pretoria institutional community engagement award for 2023. We pledge to continue providing high-quality dental services to rural and underprivileged communities.