Dental project in Central Great Southern reaches key milestone

A dental health initiative funded through the Early Years Partnership (EYP) has reached a significant milestone, with more than 600 children aged 0-4 years in the Central Great Southern region having accessed free oral care.

Since the start of the Central Great Southern Dental Health Project in 2023 - which is reducing rates of dental decay in children - a further 129 children have also received emergency dental treatment closer to home, avoiding long trips to Perth.

The project forms part of the EYP, which is a unique 10-year collaboration between the State Government, the Minderoo Foundation and four communities of Central Great Southern, Derby, Armadale West and Bidyadanga.

The EYP aims to improve the development, health and learning outcomes of children aged 0-4 in those communities.

Improving dental health was identified by the Central Great Southern community as a priority in their EYP plan, Children Growing Strong, which highlighted barriers to accessing oral health care close to home.

The project established a paediatric dental outreach service, which is delivered three times a year by the University of Western Australia Dental School in collaboration with WA Country Health Service  and Amity Health. The service provides free dental screenings, treatments, oral health education, and referrals as needed.

It can be accessed by children at early childhood education centres, playgroups, kindergartens, and community events.

The Central Great Southern Dental Health Project is one of a range of initiatives being delivered under the EYP in the region to improve child wellbeing and school readiness, with others including:

• A new Katanning Early Childhood Hub to improve access to essential services for local families;
• The delivery of a new refuge, Kareba House, for women and children escaping family and domestic violence;
• Improved transport options for local families to attend early learning and child health appointments; and
• Perpetrator intervention and behaviour change programs.

The EYP forms part of the State Government's long-standing commitment to creating thriving communities and delivering quality infrastructure across Western Australia.