Mobile dental clinic helps fills gaps left by State Government paediatric dental service

A mobile dental van is helping to fill the gaps left by the State Government’s school dental service in the Goldfields.

Goldfields Family Dental’s mobile clinic has serviced Kambalda, East Kalgoorlie and O’Connor primary schools since it launched in February and will be based at North Kalgoorlie Primary School next week.

GFD owners Alex and Rhys Naylor decided to set up the mobile paediatric dental service after they noticed an increase in children coming to their Maritana Street clinic with emergency dental issues.

Ms Naylor said dental problems that could have been identified by dentists at on-site school clinics were not being picked up because of critically low staffing.

“It’s hard because everyone’s short-staffed,” she said.

“I know that they are trying to get a locum (dentist) into one of their clinics, which will be great, but at the end of the day it’s not even a Band-Aid (solution).

“It will help for a while, but with no regular check-ups happening I would say that they’re going to be doing a lot of emergency treatment.

“Some of (the students) are coming to the van and saying ‘I’m in pain, can you help?’.”

To date the mobile service has completed 164 fissure seals, 155 examinations and 127 cleans across 35 working days at the three Goldfields primary schools.

The mobile van has also completed 63 hall crowns and 20 extractions.

Ms Naylor said the initiative had been well received by school leaders and parents who appreciated the convenience of the mobile service.

“Most parents have been really happy; some of our patients from the clinic have called up and (asked) if their kids to be seen on the van so they don’t have to bring them into (the Maritana Street clinic),” she said.

The van is free for the school to host, with any eligible children being treated under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

Ms Naylor said when she reached out to the State Government for help in setting up the van, she was turned away.

She said GFD would appreciate any Government support for the service which she believes is helping to fill the gaps.

“It would be nice ... for the State Government to acknowledge the work that we’re doing and the effort that we have gone to try and help because their service is lacking,” she said.

Ms Naylor said Kambalda West District High School, Coolgardie Primary School, John Paul College and Goldfields Baptist College had also signed up and would be serviced by the van in the near future.