[Oral Hygiene at the First Health Station in Peiping (1925-1938)]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Dental Public Health
• History of Medicine

Background:

• The First Health Station in Peiping was established in 1925, supported by American sanitarian expert John B. Grant.
• Oral public health, including dental screenings and hygiene education, was a core initiative.
• This marked the first government-public health institution collaboration for oral health in Beijing during the Republican era.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the First Health Station's oral public health initiatives.
• To analyze the reasons behind the limited success of John B. Grant's oral health model in early 20th-century China.
• To provide evidence for a critical reassessment of Grant's model within the Chinese context.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of the First Health Station's operations.
• Examination of socioeconomic and contextual factors influencing public health practices.
• Comparative assessment of the Grant model against local Chinese realities.

Main Results:

• The oral public health practice was established but ultimately ineffective as a social trial.
• John B. Grant's initial concept was not fully realized.
• Key barriers included economic underdevelopment, limited government capacity, personnel shortages, and low public awareness.

Conclusions:

• The First Health Station's oral public health practice demonstrated an incompatibility between the Grant model and local Chinese conditions.
• Socioeconomic and infrastructural limitations hindered the implementation and success of the proposed public health model.
• A critical reassessment of John B. Grant's public health model is warranted in the Chinese historical context.