Summary
- Our health service has 3 new custom built dental vans to expand oral health services.
- The dental vans as well will be used to engage directly with schools in our region.
Queensland’s most northerly health service has taken delivery of 3 new custom-built dental vans to support expanded oral health services across Cape York and the Northern Peninsula Area.
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Rex O’Rourke said the new vans would replace the current aging fleet and bring the total active mobile fleet to four.
He said the new vans would be based at Weipa, Cooktown and Bamaga and deliver services to communities throughout the region.
“The vans will increase flexibility and strengthen access to care for townships and communities around their new home bases,’’ Mr O’Rourke said.
“Just as important, if not more, these vans will also be used to engage directly with schools in our region, supporting promotion, prevention, early education, and better dental health outcomes for our kids.’’
Torres and Cape HHS Oral Health Senior Operations Manager Ryan Arthurson said the three new vans had been custom-built and shipped north.
“As well as the new vans, the health service has recently purchased portable dental equipment that allows us more easily to set up visiting clinics at primary health care centres across the region and deliver oral health services more easily directly to children in remote communities,’’ he said.
“Our oral health team remains ever focused and passionate to being present and improving the dental health of our communities.
“We continue to look for every opportunity to enhance access, grow our clinics, and deliver better outcomes for our people.’’
Nevertheless, the delivery of good and timely oral health services was only one part of the story, Torres and Cape HHS Executive Director of Medical Services Dr Marlow Coates said.
“Prevention is always better than the cure and individuals also must play their part by taking responsibility for looking after their teeth,’’ Dr Coates said.
“A healthy diet, good oral hygiene including daily brushing and flossing, not smoking, and regularly visiting the dentist can prevent dental problems from arising in the first place.’’
Dr Coates said four key elementals of good oral health for children were:
- Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Clean between teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes.
- Eat a nutritious diet, low in sugar.
- See your dentist regularly.
As well as the dental vans, the health service had dental clinics at Thursday Island Hospital, Bamaga Hospital, Weipa Integrated Health Service and Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service, and travel regularly to Primary Health Care Centres with dental infrastructure Dr Coates said.
The Weipa and Cooktown oral health teams also deliver outreach services to other communities on Cape York, while the Thursday Island oral health team, delivers outreach oral health services to the Northern Peninsula Area and islands in the Torres Strait.