The blessing of Waikato District Health Board’s newest mobile dental clinic today at Waikato Hospital marks the start of a significant year of changes for its School Dental Service.
The van is the second of nine to be produced over the next 12 months as part of major investment into oral health worth more than $9 million. Ms Pevreal said the mobile would start travelling around the Raglan area in March and accommodate two dentist chairs.
Six new fixed clinics will also be built at schools throughout the region; bringing the total mobile clinics to 15 and the fixed clinics to eight.
Three representatives from Action Motor Bodies of Hamilton joined Health Waikato chief operating officer Jan Adams and School Dental Service manager Diane Pevreal at the blessing today of the first of four larger models.
“It will allow the provision of both assessment and treatment of oral health in a one-stop shop for this area.
“Today is a significant day for the School Dental Service and I would like to thank everyone for the hard work they have put in to get this mobile clinic here.
“It has been a real team effort to get to this point,” she said.
Health Waikato chief operating officer Jan Adams also paid tribute to all those involved in the project. “Oral health comes under our Waikids initiative because children are a significant investment,” she said.
“This new mobile, and the other changes associated with the project will ultimately improve the care provided to children under the School Dental Service.
“The service will be much more mobile with these clinics, allowing our dental therapists to visit children in most need, and visit them again if necessary.”
Education around prevention will also be a strong focus in the new clinics, with parents encouraged to attend appointments.
The DHB announced in 2009 a major overhaul to its School Dental Service after it found that all of the 78 school-owned dental clinics staffed by Waikato DHB needed replacing or refurbishment to comply with new legislation.
Waikato DHB will vacate 77 of these clinics when the new fixed clinics open later this year at: Cambridge Middle School Morrinsville Primary School Peachgrove Intermediate Firth Primary School, Matamata Frankton Primary School Fairfield Intermediate
Refurbishment work at Crawshaw School (Hamilton) will see treatment continue in their school-owned clinic, and a Tokoroa Hospital ward will be an eighth clinic.
Mrs Pevreal said construction of the Matamata and Frankton clinics is now underway with work scheduled to begin in Morrinsville, Peachgrove, Cambridge and Fairfield later this year.
“We’re still working out exact dates and timeframes for each but all six new clinics will be open by the end of this year,” she said.
“This will require some children to attend a different dental clinic to what they do no so parents and caregivers can expect to receive information with their child’s appointments about any changes to location.”
The mobile fleet will service 129 school sites throughout the Waikato region allowing most schools to be provided with treatment with a service either on-site or very close by.
Media Release: Waikato District Health Board, 28 Jan 2011