Dentists Margaret Tran, Rutuja Nirale and Tom Mackey.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
A group of Goulburn Valley dentists have come together to donate dental hygiene products to vulnerable members of the community.
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The eight dentists are part of a committee that represents the Goulburn Valley within the Australian Dental Association’s Victorian Branch (ADAVB).
Ahead of Dental Health Week, the dentists donated toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss to the Orange Door and Winter Nights Shelter, two front-line services that support the homeless.
Dentists Margaret Tran, Rutuja Nirale and Tom Mackey.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The dentists are also hoping to provide dental health instructions to help homeless people maintain their dental health and prevent disease and decay.
“We know when you are in those situations, it’s hard to keep on top of things like oral health,” Dr Margaret Tran, a dentist at Goulburn Valley Dental Group in Shepparton, said.
But it’s not just the homeless that are at risk of poor dental health.
Dentist Tom Mackey.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Data for the electorate of Nicholls shows the average waiting time for public general dental health care in the Goulburn Valley is 8.4 months, with the longest wait time being 15 months as of December 2021.
Only a small fraction of the estimated eligible population of adults (46,766) and children (29,589) in the GV accessed dental care in 2021, with 2927 adults and 750 children actually receiving treatment.
Dentist Rutuja Nirale.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
This data, obtained under Freedom of Information from Dental Health Services Victoria in January 2022 by ADAVB, highlights the necessity of prevention in a regional area with poor access to dental health care.
“Prevention is the key point ... to avoiding ... chronic gum disease, tooth pain, tooth decay, losing teeth and then needing dentures,” Dr Tran said.
And these dental ill-health conditions are costly, inflicting pain in the mouth and in the pocket.
Dentist Margaret Tran.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
That’s why this Dental Health Week, Dr Tran and her colleagues are raising awareness about dental hygiene to try and help people who can afford dental care the least prevent these expensive problems form occurring.
The dentists approached dental hygiene brand Colgate to get them on board, and delivered packages in July.
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