Clinic gets teeth into teens' oral health | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Fewer than half of all adolescents aged up to 18 use free oral health services - but a new Rotorua dental clinic aims to change that.

A completely refurbished dental clinic, officially reopened at Selwyn Primary School yesterday, will cater for both students and the community.

The clinic will give local communities greater and easier access to oral health care.

The modernised clinic is the first of the two-chair clinics to reopen as part of the Lakes District Health Board's new model of oral health service provision.

The model is designed to provide early identification of at-risk preschoolers for timely intervention and seeks to improve the use of oral health services by adolescents.

Oral Health project manager Rosemary Viskovic said providing services for adolescents was new for the health board but it was important to try to increase the number of teenagers able to access dental services.

"Currently, only about 45 per cent of adolescents up to 18 years of age access free oral health services."

Mrs Viskovic said adolescents who already had a dentist should continue with that service but should also be aware they could go to dental services at school-based clinics. "Oral health is a top priority for Lakes DHB. The oral health project will be implemented over the next three years, finishing in mid-2012."

The Selwyn Primary School clinic will be open to a range of local schools and provide oral health care to children from birth to 18 years.

The clinic refurbishment features an extension to the building, an upgrade of insulation and heating and separate areas for the clinic, the office and instrument reprocessing.

It will be staffed for most of the school year by two dental therapists and a dental assistant.

A visiting dentist will provide services for children and adolescents whose needs cannot be met by those staff.

Eleven-year-old student Keanu Flavell said he was really excited to have the new clinic opened and was looking forward to his first check-up for the year.

Keanu, who is one of the school's leaders, was the first student to test out the new dentist chairs.

Principal Tony Pope said it was wonderful to have the clinic reopened at the school.

"I've long been an advocate of locally-based services."

He said it was great because it allowed for easier access to dental services within the community.

"I anticipate parents will be excited."