Primary school children in Western Sydney, the Mid North Coast and the Central Coast will be among the first to benefit from free mobile dental checks and basic dental care, under a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced the NSW Government will invest $70 million over the next four years to provide 35 new mobile dental clinics for the service – which will allow checking of up to 136,000 primary school children each year.
“Dental health is so important to give kids a great start in life, and we want to make it easier for families to get access to vital dental services,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals have worked together to deliver a strong budget, which means we can do even more to improve our world-class health system.”
Mr Hazzard said the mobile dental checks would roll out from 1 July 2019.
“When it comes to getting it done, NSW leads the way in free dental care for our children,” Mr Hazzard said.
“These mobile dental clinics will make access easier and parents can have the peace of mind that their children are getting timely preventative dental checks.
“This great initiative will ensure children in areas where there is a high demand for public dental care don’t miss out at a critical time in their lives.
“These mobile dental clinics will also raise awareness among students and families about the importance of developing lifelong good dental health habits,” Mr Hazzard said.
Currently NSW public dental services provide care to children at fixed clinics at hospitals or in the community.
Oral health assessments are performed as part of all child health checks at regular intervals from the age of six months until a child turns four.
Mr Perrottet said strong financial management meant the NSW Liberals & Nationals could invest in improving dental health for children.
“As a parent of five children I know it’s a challenge getting your kids to look after their teeth,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This program will improve dental hygiene, identify problems early and help correct them. It will help put a brighter smile on the faces of parents and their kids.”
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