New fixed dental clinic opens in Horowhenua Health Centre

10/06/2011 | New Dental Clinic

Horowhenua and Otaki residents will now benefit from the opening of a new fixed dental clinic in the Horowhenua Health Centre.

The one dental chair clinic has been accommodated into a room of the existing centre layout.

The clinic has two main aims – to complement the mobile dental services to school children in the district by providing a free, disability-friendly venue for children between five months and up to 18 years old. 

It will also double as a shared facility for Palmerston North Hospital Dental Services to provide dental care requiring general anaesthetic sessions for Horowhenua-based patients. A key patient group for this service will be the former residents of Kimberley Centre now residing in Horowhenua/Otaki. The introduction of this service has been supported by the Residential Home Managers and support groups of the ex-Kimberley residents. The general anaesthetic sessions are held one day a fortnight and feedback to date indicates an overall satisfaction with the service.

Horowhenua is the first area in the MDHB region to get a new fixed clinic as part of the new child and adolescent oral health project that is being progressively rolled out in MDHB’s region, and nationally.

Other areas in the MDHB schedule to get similar fixed dental clinics are: Dannevirke, Feilding, and Palmerston North, in addition two school-based fixed clinics are also planned for Ross Intermediate, and Intermediate Normal schools in Palmerston North.

By mid-2013 Horowhenua/Otaki children and adolescents will also be serviced by either single chair or double chair mobile dental clinics based at any of the 21 school based sites.

Contact: Communications Unit (06) 350-8945