100,000 smiles… but it’s not enough!

Australian Dental Foundation is celebrating a major milestone in its 10-year history – providing dental services to its 100,000th patient. But it’s not enough, according to the Foundation’s chairman Dr Greg Miller.

Started by an Adelaide team of volunteer dentists in 2015, Australian Dental Foundation (ADFi) has grown rapidly to establish a national presence, clocking more than $20 million of dental work, and 40,000 hours of dental checks and procedures for more than 100,000 patients.

This week is Australian Dental Health Week and Dr Miller said it was an opportunity to celebrate the milestone but also to spread the message about the importance of oral health and call on governments to do more.

He referred to the final report of a Senate Committee inquiry into the accessibility of dental services, to which the ADFi had made a submission.

“As Australia’s largest single provider of dental services to the residential aged care sector, we advocated for older Australians to have better access to dental care and we have seen no new funding or support despite the committee’s recommendations,” Dr Miller said.

“At the other end of the dental lifespan, we know that one in every four children under the age of 10 in Australia have untreated dental decay, and this is something our charity works tirelessly to turn around.”

He said ADFi would use this week to continue to call for more government support for better oral health care.

ADFi works mostly in schools and residential aged care facilities and supports vulnerable groups such as migrants, refugees, those living with homelessness or disability, and those living in regional and remote communities.

Media contact: Dr Greg Miller 0437733350, greg@dentalfoundation.org.au

Media opportunity: Celebration of 100,000th patient at the combined campus of Playford Primary School and Catherine McAuley School, 210 Adams Road, Craigmore South, SA.
Wednesday, August 7th 2.30pm to 4pm.
For more information contact Shauna Black 0409 096 846.