Child and Adolescent Oral Health Project
In 2006 the Ministry of Health announced the vision of "Good Oral Health, for All, for Life". To reach this vision, a review of school dental services was completed, with a clear strategy and vision as to the improvement and access to oral health services.
Background
New Zealand has reached a turning point for oral health. Several decades of dramatic improvements in the oral health of young people have begun to reverse.
Inequalities in oral health and in access to oral health services have become increasingly evident, with Māori, Pacific, rural and low socioeconomic populations all showing progressively poorer oral health relative to other groups.
Recent reviews of the School Dental Service showed that services are often hampered by ageing equipment and buildings, and models of service delivery that are no longer meeting communities’ needs. Secondary services are under pressure from larger case loads of patients requiring more complex treatment.
Additional funding for both capital and operational expenditure has been made available to District Health Boards throughout New Zealand and MidCentral District Health Board (MDHB) is working on a new model of delivery, a requirement of the Ministry of Health to access new funds.
What is MidCentral District Health Board doing to improve access to oral health services?
A business case for reshaping child and adolescent oral health services throughout the district was developed. In March 2009, MDHB was notified that an updated report and business case was supported by the Ministers of Health, and Finance.
The proposal looks to improve access through increasing the number of mobile services from three to eight, and establishing modern dental clinics to care for around 30,000 children spread across 117 schools.
The hours of the service are also intended to increase, and several new roles will be established to support the service, including a community dentist and a dental educator.
Capital funding of nearly $4m over three years, and additional operating funding of $1.2m a year have been provided to implement the revised structure and delivery of school dental health services throughout the MDHB region.
Equipment Approved
MidCentral District Health Board has approved:
- One new single chair mobile dental clinic.
- Four new two chair mobile dental clinics (this is in addition to the three existing single chair mobile dental clinics).
- Three new two chair fixed clinics will be located in Palmerston North (yet to be determined).
- Two “co-located” facilities are planned – One in Feilding and one in Palmerston North (yet to be determined).
Project Timeline
- September - October 2009: Community engagement
- October - November 2009: Visits to preferred sites
- November 2009 - February 2010: Work with schools on lease agreements and exit strategies from existing fixed clinics
- End of November 2009: Finalisation of sites
- December 2009 - January 2010: Phased installation of utilities at sites
- January - June 2010: Construction of fixed clinics
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