Dental scheme expands

The School Dental Service will now cover disadvantaged students throughout the whole of their secondary school education, says Health Minister John Thwaites.

Visiting the Wangaratta Dental Clinic, Mr Thwaites said the Government had committed an extra $11 million over four years to expand the service, which will now include Year 11 and 12 students for the first time.

Mr Thwaites said teenagers were particularly susceptible to dental decay and gum disease.

‘The expansion will allow an extra 30,000 disadvantaged teenagers to receive publicly-funded dental care over the next three years, which will improve their oral health, self-esteem and employment prospects,’ he said.

‘Treatment will focus strongly on preventive dental work to give these students the opportunity to reach adulthood with good teeth, good oral health and the knowledge on how to maintain it.’

Mr Thwaites said school dental services are provided through almost 60 community dental clinics across Victoria—more than half of them in rural areas.

The referral of subsidised adult public dental patients to private dentists would ensure the expansion of the school scheme would not impact on public waiting times, he said.