As Heathcote continues to fall behind the rest of the state when it comes to oral health, The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has stressed the need for government dental health initiatives to be extended to all local students.
Programs like Smile Squad currently offer free oral health promotion, dental check-ups, and treatment to Victorian government school students, but it is not expected to be rolled out in low-fee Catholic and Independent schools until at least 2026.
Ms Cleeland recently wrote to the health minister calling for the services to be expanded in areas like Heathcote as a matter of priority.
“Labor has acknowledged the need for expanding these crucial services, however had decided to withhold it from communities that need it until an election year,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Many of the region’s non-government schools are not privileged private schools like those in Melbourne, with 74 per cent of students at Holy Rosary recorded as being in the more disadvantaged quartiles statewide.
“Heathcote remains without fluoridated water and the Allan Labor Government must address the dental health of its residents as a matter of priority, rather than waiting until its convenient for their election hopes.”
According to Dental Health Services Victoria, the average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth for children in Heathcote was 2.08 among children aged 0-5 (state average: 1.21), 3.00 for children aged 6-8 (state average 2.35), and 2.96 for children aged 9-12 (state average 1.51).
Among adults, the average number of missing teeth due to dental decay is also higher.
Additionally, community members have limited access to paid dental services and must travel approximately 50 kilometres for appointments.
“Delayed treatment leads to a whole range of adverse health outcomes and entrenched health disadvantages for kids growing up in towns like Heathcote, and this needs to be addressed absolutely immediately,” Ms Cleeland said.
“For the sake of children in the region, addressing the dental health of all students in Heathcote is something that must be looked at immediately by this government.”
Ms Cleeland has continued to campaign for local families attending low-fee Catholic and Independent schools across the region, including calls for increased access to the $400 school saving bonus and eyecare services.
