The Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) is eagerly awaiting the delivery of a purpose-built dental health van that is currently under construction.
The $500,000 vehicle, which will be fitted out as a full dental surgery, has been commissioned by MNCLHD in partnership with the Centre for Oral Health Strategy to provide onsite general dental services to clients in residential aged care facilities.
The van will come complete with a wheelchair lift into the surgery, a small waiting area suitable for a carer and storage area for equipment and instruments. It will also be fitted out with digital x-ray facilities.
Healthy Communities and Oral Health Manager, Catherine Osborne, said aged care oral health services are a focus area for the MNCLHD Oral Health Team.
“We are also in the process of setting up an Advisory Group which will provide the Oral Health Team with expert advice and support on all aspects of the dental van’s role in the community, its establishment and ongoing function.
“The dental van will be used primarily for aged care services, however, this will be reviewed once the program is established and there is a greater understanding of the level of demand and the service’s capacity to respond to it,” Ms Osborne said.
In accordance with guidelines for public dental care in New South Wales, Residential Care Facility clients who have a health care card or pension card will be eligible to utilise the dental van service.
The new dental van is expected to be on the road by the end of this year.
