Investing in their Future initiative
SA Dental in partnership with the Department for Child Protection (DCP) shares a responsibility to ensure children and young people in care can access dental services, including regular checks, preventive care and further treatment required.
The partnership supports DCP’s recent initiative, Investing in their Future, with a targeted strategy being developed to follow up with children and young people in care who have not seen a dentist in the last 18 months.
Significant boost to DCP dental services
As a result of the partnership, the number of children reported as being in care on the SA Dental database has increased by more than 30% from 3,200 to 4,815 at the end of June 2023, of which 4,400 are enrolled with SA Dental and the remainder reporting that they attend a private dentist.
During 2022/23, 2,693 children and young people in care received dental treatment, of which 31% are Aboriginal. Ten received specialised care and 60 are currently receiving orthodontic care at the Adelaide Dental Hospital.
It is expected these numbers will increase as a result of the Investing in their Future initiative.
Early and regular dental checks and introducing good oral health habits play an important role in overall health and well-being.
All children are scheduled for future appointments based on an individual oral health risk assessment.
Making a difference together, September 2023, Department for Child Protection
"The partnership between SA Dental and DCP is part of DCP’s Investing in their Future initiative.
SA Dental Manager for Clinical Business and Improvement said that the partnership had resulted in a big increase in the number of children and young people in care receiving dental care.
“In the past couple of years DCP has worked with us to increase the number by 30 per cent,” she said.
“It’s been a really good success. We assign a 12-month recall, so we can provide priority care to all children and young people in care. We approach the children, to offer care soon after they turn 12 months old.”
SA Dental has 34 clinics across the state, and also sub-contracts services to private clinics in regional areas.
Under the DCP agreement with SA Dental, all children and young people in care under the age of 18 received fee-free dental care.
This includes dental assessment, treatment and regular reviews, emergency dental care within business hours, specialist dental treatment and orthodontics.
