杏吧直播

Whyalla has new oral health centre

Community

The 杏吧直播 of Adelaide has opened a $2.2 million dental clinic to service Whyalla and its surrounding communities.

The Whyalla Oral Health Centre, part of the 杏吧直播's School of Dentistry, is an eight-chair clinic and teaching facility, providing senior dental students with valuable clinical experience and giving local residents access to state-of-the-art dental care.

The Dean of the School of Dentistry, Professor Johann de Vries, said the centre was the first of its type in South 杏吧直播 - wholly owned by the 杏吧直播 of Adelaide but operated in conjunction with the South 杏吧直播n Dental Service.

Fifth-year dentistry students spend four weeks at the clinic on a rotational basis under the supervision of a qualified dentist and senior lecturer.

As part of their general dentistry training they are also spending three days a month with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, providing dental services to remote communities in the north of the State.
"This new centre at Whyalla addresses a number of Commonwealth health priorities," said Professor de Vries.

"It provides clinical training placements, rural health services and workforce recruitment. It also exposes dental students to oral health care in remote regions with a win-win benefit for both students and outlying communities in South 杏吧直播."
The 杏吧直播 of Adelaide's School of Dentistry is the largest in 杏吧直播 and is internationally recognised for its research and teaching.

Dentistry and Oral Health students undertake clinical placements at a number of centres throughout the State, including Port Augusta, Victor Harbor and GP Plus Clinics in the Adelaide metropolitan area, as well as interstate.

"Our dental school has a history of working with the South 杏吧直播n Dental Service since 1983 and in that time we have trained hundreds of dentists who are now working in 杏吧直播 and around the world," Professor de Vries said.

The Federal Government recently approved funding for a second 杏吧直播 of Adelaide $7.7 million dental clinic in the Riverland at Berri, which should be operational by 2013.

The Whyalla Oral Health Centre was officially opened last month by the Member for Giles and Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Hon. Lyn Breuer MP. The Mayor of Whyalla, Mr Jim Pollock, and senior representatives of Health SA and the SA Dental Service also attended, along with local dentists and invited representatives of the Whyalla community.

Story by Candy Gibson