Mobile dental clinic to keep Collinsville smiling

Collinsville welcomes the Royal Flying Doctor Service's dental service.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service's dental service is heading to Collinsville.

COLLINSVILLE will once again enjoy the opportunity to flash its pearly whites as a mobile dental clinic rolls into town providing dental health for local residents.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Dental Service is a mobile dental clinic that works out of an 18-wheel semi-trailer truck and provides necessary dental services to people living in regional communities.

Research undertaken by the RFDS showed there was a large disparity of dental services for those in regional areas, with 60 per cent of major city adults visiting a dentist in a year compared to 45 per cent in remote areas.

The dental service was established by the QCoal Foundation in 2013 to alleviate the stress of those looking for dental work in rural areas, and close the gap.

QCoal ran the program for five years before the Federal Government funded the service in 2018.

Since its inception, the service has visited Collinsville 12 times, treated more than 840 patients and delivered more than 9000 treatments.

The mobile service has five staff and includes two clinics, a sterilisation area, a reception desk, kitchenette, and state-of-the-art panoramic x-ray equipment.

The truck stopped off in Collinsville on May 21 and will remain there until June 7.

All treatments are free to any patient with a Medicare Card, with no out of pocket expenses for patients with private health insurance.

If the treatment is beyond what the mobile team can provide, patients will be referred to an appropriate service provider where they can gain further help.

A spokeswoman for QCoal Foundation said the service was extremely helpful to the people of Collinsville.

"Through ongoing visits, the service has seen patients move from emergency pain relief to preventive treatments such as check-ups and maintenance," the spokeswoman said.

QCoal Foundation chair Christopher Wallin welcomed the news that the RFDS Dental Service will be visiting Collinsville again, saying he believes the service will be very busy.

"The service has a long history in Collinsville from the launch until today," Mr Wallin said.

"We understand from the RFDS that there has been a strong response from the community and it will be a busy swing.

"As founding donor, the QCoal Foundation is very proud that the RFDS, with the support of the Commonwealth Government, is continuing to supply high quality and much-needed oral health services to rural and remote Queensland."