CHHHS launches free mobile dental vans for children, teens across Far North

Children and teenagers across the Far North will be able to access free oral health care, with mobile dental vans roaming across the region. Here’s how.

Cairns and Hinterland Health and Hospital Service oral health team leader Stephanie Wallace demonstrates how to brush teeth on a dragon prop, to help children understand the importance of oral hygiene. Photo: Catherine Duffy.

Children and teenagers across the Far North will be able to access free oral health care, as young people present with prentable diseases that experts say fluoride would be able to treat.

The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has prepared its fleet of dental vans for visiting schools and community sites for the year ahead.

It comes after the Cairns Post recently launched the State of Decay series to highlight the significant dental health problems in regions without fluoride, including Cairns.

Oral health director Dr Herholdt ‘Harry’ Robertson said CHHHS supported water fluoridation to improve oral health in the region.

“This is backed by strong, consistent scientific and medical evidence from global health experts,” he said.

“Tooth decay is having a serious impact on the oral health and, more broadly, the general health of hundreds of people around our region and more than 150 children required dental treatment under a General Anaesthetic during the previous financial year.

“It is costly to the community and our health system and can lead to chronic conditions, such as heart disease, later in life.”

CHHHS children’s oral health team leader Stephanie Wallace said a lot of young patients presented with ‘preventable diseases’ such as tooth decay and poor oral hygiene.

“We certainly see with a lot of our children there are a lot of preventable diseases such as tooth decay and we want to really try and reduce that,” she said.

“It’s really quite simple, making sure that we’re educating our children on how to look after their teeth, as well as provide that support right here in our facilities.”

Cairns and Hinterland Health and Hospital Service oral health team leader Stephanie Wallace demonstrates how to brush teeth on a dragon prop, to help children understand the importance of oral hygiene. Photo: Catherine Duffy.

Ms Wallace said the start of the school year was the perfect time to get children’s teeth checked.

“Our Cairns oral health service offers free dental treatment for children from zero to 17,” Ms Wallace said.

“Children just need to have a Medicare card and be Queensland residents to be eligible for the service.”

The dental vans will be available across multiple sites across Cairns, as well as stations in Mareeba, Tully, Innisfail and Croydon.

“Our team of dental professionals are highly skilled and trained with children,” she said.

“They really ensure that the children area in a safe, calm environment and really put a good step forward for our kids, making sure that they’re really excited to see the dentist and learn some really valuable lessons about good oral hygiene to protect their teeth.”

Cairns youth between the ages of zero and 17 will be able to access free dental care when they visit Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service mobile dental sites. Picture: iStock

Dr Robertson said the vans provided an easy way for younger patients to access free dental care closer to home.

“We have plenty of appointments free for children, and this is a stress-free environment with clinicians who are highly skilled at treating and caring for our youngest patients,” Dr Robertson said.

Dr Robertson said booking children into the dentist gave them a head start for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

“If we can help kids with their general oral health and hygiene early on in life, that will help against serious diseases like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s later in life,” he said.

“There are well established links between unhealthy mouths and diseases in the body.”

To make an appointment with the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s oral health team, call 1300 300 850 or visit one of the oral health vans when it visits your school or community.

Treatment is free for all children under 17, and adults with a health care card.

To see the full list of available sites, visit the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service website.

Originally published as CHHHS launches free mobile dental vans for children, teens across Far North