Three extraordinary dental professionals were honoured with Public Oral Healthcare Awards last night for their care and commitment to public dental services.

The awards, presented annually by Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV), are given to dental professionals who go above and beyond in providing dental care to disadvantaged Victorians.

DHSV CEO, Dr Deborah Cole, said the awards pay tribute to the often unacknowledged work being done by public dental professionals.

“The awards give us the opportunity to formally acknowledge the unsung heroes working in the public dental sector in Victoria.

“The judging panel were overwhelmed by the calibre of the nominees who included dental assistants, specialist dentists, oral health therapists, clinic managers and academics. All of them have dedicated their careers to improving people’s oral health,” said Dr Cole.

The winners received funding of $5,000 for their professional development as well as a trophy designed by Philip Stokes Gallery.

In addition to the winners, three highly commended awards were also presented. 

Winners:

(Click on the links to view their profile)

Highly commended:

Winners: (pictured left to right) Dr Deborah Cole, DHSV CEO; Niki Hantzis; Dr Warren Shnider;
Assoc. Prof. Julie Satur and Mick Ellis, DHSV Board Chair

Highly commended: (pictured left to right) Dr Deborah Cole, DHSV CEO; Dr Soon Voon; 
Mr Mick Ellis, DHSV Board Chair and Dr Felicia Valianatos

To arrange interviews with the award winners or to request photographs, please contact:

Lisa Fairweather
Media and Communications Officer
Dental Health Services Victoria
T: 03 9341 1134 | Mob: 0402 373 585
E: lisa.fairweather@dhsv.org.au  

 

The hard work has paid off for Dr Gaurav (Gary) Grawal who has completed the Victorian International Dental Graduate (V-IDG) Program.  

Celebrating World Oral Health Day on Wednesday 20 March was a reminder that healthy teeth and gums play a crucial role in our ability to work or study without constant pain, and contribute to our self confidence and general wellbeing.

The theme of World Oral Health Day was ‘Healthy Teeth for a Healthy Life’ which reflects the major contribution that oral health makes to our lives.

Around the world, dental practitioners, dental associations, schools, companies and other groups celebrated the day with events organised under this one simple message.

DHSV got involved by holding its own celebrations at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

Our workmates wore green to celebrate the event and raise awareness on the importance of oral health.

View more World Oral Health Day pictures on our Facebook page >>

DHSV is delighted to announce that North Richmond Community Health, in partnership with DHSV and the University of Melbourne (UoM), has been awarded a William Buckland Foundation Grant.

The team of investigators includes Prof Hanny Calache and Dr Jackie Martin (DHSV), Dr Martin Hall (North Richmond Community Health), Prof David Manton, Prof John Brownbill and Dr Denise Bailey (UoM). The grant will allow the team to continue their applied research to improve the health outcomes of young children with tooth decay while reducing the use of invasive dental treatment.

This innovative technique sees oral health professionals place stainless steel crowns on decayed molars of young children (3-7 years of age). The decayed tooth material is not removed, but is sealed by the stainless steel crowns to stop it from progressing. Therefore there is no need to use local anaesthetic or a drill.

As seen in the news recently, many Australians are going overseas to get cheaper dental treatment. But is it risky? Dental Health Services Victoria wants you to know the facts before getting dental treatment abroad.

Why do people go overseas for dental treatment?

Dental treatment in other countries can be cheaper, treatment is often faster and you can get away from home and enjoy a holiday. This might sound great, but cheap and fast treatment is not always a good thing. When dental treatment is fitted around a holiday, it can be rushed and you can’t easily go back to the person treating you if you have a problem afterwards. At home, the person treating you is easily accessible in case you have any problems with your care.

Is treatment in Australia a better option? 

You can be sure that:

1. Australian dental professionals have gone through quality training and have to follow strict rules and standards to ensure you get the best care possible.
2. In Australia, we have strict standards for sterilistation of dental equipment that have to be followed by all oral health professionals.
3. The person treating you in Australia has an obligation to provide you with the best treatment possible and make sure that your recovery is as quick and painless as it can be. If you have had treatment in another country, this follow-up care can be difficult back home as the person treating you here will not know the full history of your care.

You might also find that your travel insurance doesn’t cover overseas dental treatment and your insurer may not pay out if something does go wrong.

Where do people go overseas for dental treatment?

For Australians, the most popular places are Malaysia, India, the Phillipines and Thailand.

What are the benefits to treatment in Australia?

Dental professionals in Australia are strictly regulated by the Dental Board of Australia who is responsible for:

• registering dentists, students, dental specialists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists
• developing standards, codes and guidelines for the dental profession
• handling complaints, investigations and disciplinary hearings
• assessing overseas-trained practitioners who wish to practise in Australia
• ensuring the quality of courses of study. These levels of regulation and accountability ensure that dental treatment in Australia is as safe and effective as possible.

Download the Dental Tourism fact sheet [PDF 387KB]

People who are refugees or asylum seekers may experience high levels of gum disease and decay because of experiences prior to arrival in Australia like interrupted access to healthcare, a lack of access to nutritious food or clean water and severe injury to teeth. 

Although refugees and asylum seekers have priority access to public dental services in Victoria, there are still significant barriers after arrival (an unfamiliar health system, language barriers, aspects of treatment that may seem strange and distrust in government services) that prevent them from getting the treatment they need. To help break down some of these barriers, public health and community groups from across the north and west metropolitan regions of Victoria will take part in the Community Dental Staff Forum to discuss and plan the best treatment options for this population group.

“Oral health is vital for overall health and well-being, so getting refugee and asylum seeker patients the dental care they need is essential,” Dental Health Services Victoria CEO, Dr Deborah Cole said. “We hope that the Community Dental Staff Forum will help to identify ways that organisations can work together to improve the oral health of refugees and asylum seekers in the north and west metropolitan regions of Melbourne.”

The event will bring together members of dental teams and staff of refugee and asylum seeker support agencies and educate them about approaches to caring for this diverse community group, ways to identify clinical and social risks, common health problems and how to support these patients through their treatment and recovery. It will also present an opportunity for health workers to discuss models of care that cater to refugee and asylum seeker patients and encourage them to seek treatment.

“This event is a great chance for community and health workers to collaborate and improve the oral health of this vulnerable group,” Dr Cole said.

“All asylum seekers and refugees should have access to the same level of health care as any other members in our community and should be sure that any special needs - cultural, linguistic, and health-related - are addressed.

“There are many specialist community agencies that currently provide services for asylum seekers and refugees - we want to add public dental clinics to that list”.

Our CEO Dr Deborah Cole will be sleeping on the streets in June - and she says she is happy to be doing it. Here Dr Cole explains why.

Q: Are you mad, it will be freezing in June?

A: I’m doing it for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money, but yes, it will be very cold so I’ll be investing in some thermals.

Q: Who talked you into this?

A: A group of professional women decided to do this together. It was one in, all in and because we are all so competitive, we have also made it a challenge to see which CEO can raise the most money.

Q: How much are you hoping to raise?

A: I will be delighted with any money I raise for such a great cause, but my goal is $5000; that would be fantastic.

Q: So why did you want to do the Sleepout?

A: This is about raising money and awareness for the 100,000 Australians who find themselves homeless each night. Just under half are women. To find out more about the CEO Sleepout visit ceosleepout.org.au.

How can you help?

You can support Dr Cole's sleepout by visiting the website and donating to this great cause. Your generosity will help Vinnies Homeless Services in Australia.

The CEO of Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV), Dr Deborah Cole, is delighted with the State Government’s commitment of $9.7 million in funding for Western Region Health Centre.

At the weekend the Victorian Health Minister, David Davis, said the funding in the 2013/14 State Budget would enable work to start on the new dental clinic.

“It is fantastic news,” Dr Cole said. “The Western Region Health Centre is a part of the DHSV family and I want to congratulate the team for its hard work.”

Dr Cole said it was great to see the commitment to oral health by the Victorian Government.

“Oral health is vital for overall health and wellbeing,” Dr Cole said.

The CEO of WRHC, Lyn Morgain, said this commitment would enable WRHC to continue to deliver important dental care and extend dental services for the people in the west.

“In itself it recognises that good dental health is fundamental to being healthy and well and that poor dental health places greater burden on all health services,” Ms Morgain said.

DHSV is the leading public oral health agency in Victoria, providing dental services through The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (RDHM) and purchasing dental services for public patients from 57 community health agencies throughout Victoria – one of which is the dental clinic at Western Region Health Centre.

It also delivers oral health promotion programs across Victoria to improve oral health in the community and reduce demand on public dental services.

DHSV also has a significant role in oral health applied research and supporting education and training for Victoria’s current and future oral health professionals.
 

We are celebrating National Reconciliation Week this week.

Today DHSV trainee Dental Assistant Alwyn Ross shared a traditional dance with colleagues and visitors to The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

Visit www.reconciliation.org.au to see what else is happening around the country to celebrate National Reconciliation Week 2013.

Alwyn Ross performed the welcome song traditionally known as “K’Gari Nyin Narmi”. Danced and sung in tongue, it’s all about welcoming; it’s about coming together and being welcomed to share and also recognizing the traditional owners of the land past and present.

 More pictures of National Reconciliation Week on Facebook >>

Today is World No Tobacco Day and we are urging smokers to quit and reduce their risk of developing the destructive gum disease, periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a bacterial infection caused by a build-up of plaque on the tooth root below the gum-line. The disease is difficult to diagnose until it is at an advanced stage, and if left untreated, can destroy the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth, until teeth become loose and eventually fall out.

Evidence shows that smoking is a major risk factor for periodontitis. Smokers have been found to be more than four times more likely to have advanced periodontitis than non-smokers, and it is estimated that half of periodontitis cases in the United States are caused by smoking . Research shows that smokers lose more teeth than non-smokers do: in one US study, 20% of people over the age of 65 who had never smoked had lost all their teeth, compared with 41% of people over 65 who were daily smokers.

Smoking creates an environment in the mouth that is conducive to bacterial growth. The risk of developing periodontitis increases with increasing numbers of cigarettes per day and years of smoking.

The good news is that giving up smoking reduces the risk of periodontitis over time. If a person quits smoking today, over the next 10-11 years, their risk of developing periodontitis will reduce to that of a non-smoker. If a person already has periodontitis, we know that giving up smoking will slow the disease’s progression, and will improve the effectiveness of treatment.

With regular cleaning and treatment by a specialist periodontist, periodontitis can be controlled, and natural teeth can be protected, but it is very difficult to cure the disease. People with periodontitis often have to receive regular specialist treatment for the rest of their lives.

Related links:

The facts about periodontitis
General dental advice
Teeth tips and facts
 

A study has shown that Australian men are significantly less likely to brush their teeth twice a day than women, with only 36% of men doing so.

But why should you bother?

Assessing the risk

Evidence of the links between poor oral health and cardiovascular disease – which can cause heart attacks and strokes – continues to grow. Be on the look-out for signs of gum disease (such as red, swollen, tender or bleeding gums, persistent bad breath or loose teeth) and tooth decay (pain, swelling, inflammation) and see your dentist regularly to catch these issues early.

Although it’s important for all men to be diligent with their dental health, some men should take extra time to make sure their oral hygiene is at its best.

Taking medications

Saliva helps to reduce the amount of cavity-causing bacteria found in the mouth. It helps to wash away food and neutralise the acids formed by plaque. Some medications - like blood pressure medications or antidepressants - can inhibit the flow of saliva and cause dry mouth. People who take these medications have a greater risk of developing cavities. Ask your dental professional about saliva substitutes or other alternatives to promote saliva flow if you suffer from dry mouth.

Things you can do to ease dry mouth include:

• Drinking more water
• Chewing sugarless gum
• Avoiding alcohol, caffeine and carbonated beverages
• Avoiding smoking
• Avoiding overly salty foods
• Using an alcohol-free mouth rinse.

Smoking

Smoking or using other tobacco products are at greater risk of oral cancers than those who don’t. In fact, men in general are more at risk of oral cancer than women, but age is also a factor - 95% of oral cancers occur in those over 40 years of age.

The most frequent sites of oral cancer are the tongue, the floor of the mouth, soft palate tissues in back of the tongue, the lips and gums. If not diagnosed and treated in its early stages, oral cancer can spread, leading to chronic pain, disfigurement (following surgery) and even death.

See a dental professional for check-ups regularly and ask them to screen for oral cancers.

Playing sports

Playing sport - such as football, soccer, hockey, basketball or baseball - can create a higher chance of suffering trauma to mouths and teeth. It is important to use a mouthguard to protect teeth from damage during sports.

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne offers emergency dental services for all Victorians. If you have a dental emergency and need to visit the hospital, call 1300 160 054 or (03) 9341 1040 after hours. 

Taking care of your teeth

To improve your overall dental health:

• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day
• Use a soft toothbrush and position the brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and teeth
• Replace your toothbrush every three months
• Visit your dental professional for regular check-ups and cleans.

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne offers FREE dental care to pensioner concession card holders at our Teaching Clinic

The treatment is provided by oral health students training to become tomorrow’s dentists, prosthetists, oral health therapists and dental hygenists.

Your care may take a little longer at our Teaching Clinic, because these are students just starting out.

They work under the close supervision of fully qualified and experienced dental practitioners.

Your treatment plan will be discussed with you and you will receive the high level of care that you would expect from a fully qualified dental practitioner.

Treatment may include cleaning, fillings or dentures.

To make an appointment please call 9341 1746.

The first Victorian Public Oral Health Conference was held in Melbourne on Saturday 15 June at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

Organised by Dental Health Services Victoria, the leading public oral health agency in Victoria, it brought together more than 300 oral health care workers from across the State.

The CEO of DHSV, Dr Deborah Cole, said the conference provided an opportunity to showcase what is happening in public oral health and what is happening at DHSV.

“The conference was an opportunity to explore ideas with colleagues and the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people and celebrate the wonderful work happening in public oral health,” Dr Cole said.

The conference was launched by Mick Ellis, the chair of the DHSV Board.

“It is a great time to be working in public oral health,” Mr Ellis said.

“With the recent signing of the National Partnership Agreement on Treating More Public Dental Patients, Victoria is to receive $85 million to treat an extra 110,000 eligible people,” he said.

“Thie conference was an opportunity to share smart ideas about how to reach more of the eligible population. At the core of what we do is providing more oral healthcare to more eligible Victorians.”

Speakers at the DHSV Public Oral Health Conference included Professor Mike Morgan, DHSV’s Oral Health Advisor. Dr Kerrie Punshon talked about the specific challenges and joys of Special Needs Dentistry and the Oral Health Practice Research team, led by Adjunct Professor Hanny Calache, discussed key projects including assessing the cost-effectiveness of Minimal Intervention Dentistry. 

Media background

DHSV is the leading public oral health agency in Victoria, providing dental services through The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (RDHM) and purchasing dental services for public patients from 57 community health agencies throughout Victoria.

It also delivers oral health promotion programs across Victoria to improve oral health in the community and reduce demand on public dental services.

DHSV also has a significant role in oral health research and supporting education and training for Victoria’s current and future oral health professionals.

Media contacts

Lisa Fairweather, Tel: (03) 9341 1134 | 0402 373 585
Email: lisa.fairweather@dhsv.org.au

Robyn Riley, Tel: (03) 9341 1361 | 0419 255 118
Email: robyn.riley@dhsv.org.au

Community dental clinics in Victoria provide priority access and co-payment exemptions to refugees and asylum seekers. As part of Refugee Week, we're showcasing a project aimed at helping refugees and asylum seekers gain better access to oral health. 

Read more about Doutta Galla Community Health's project, "Talking about Teeth".

Doutta Galla Community Health is finding ways to help refugees and asylum seekers achieve better oral health, through a study looking at how barriers to visiting a dentist could be addressed.

Doutta Galla Community Health commenced on “Talking about Teeth” to study ways to implement the Model of Care for refugees and asylum seekers released by Victorian community services earlier this year.

Talking about Teeth studied how Horn of Africa residents accessed dental care with an aim to help them overcome barriers to visiting a dentist.

Anne Lennard, Manager of Oral Health and Dental Services at Doutta Galla Community Health said refugees were not always aware they were eligible for free dental treatment.

“Residents were not seeking dental care due to cost and language barriers,” Ms Lennard said.

She also said that the community viewed the absence of pain as a sign of good dental health.

“Community members stopped seeking treatment when they no longer felt pain as they associated absence of pain with good health.”

Ms Lennard said the study emphasised the need to improve communication and engagement with the community to help residents understand how to access dental services.

“We need to create a friendly and welcoming space for them, and identify their needs such as interpreter services and eligibility to gain priority access,” she said.

Ms Lennard said Doutta Galla Community Health will also look at studying other risk groups.

Find out more about refugee and asylum seeker dental services in Victoria. 

(Images from Doutta Galla Community Health)

DHSV is hosting a special lunchtime event to celebrate Refugee Week on Thursday, 20 June at 12.30pm in the RMIT auditorium (The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, Level 2).

Everyone is welcome to bring their lunch along for the presentation and musical performance.

Our guest musicians on Thursday are the Black Orchid String Band, a group of West Papuan singers and musicians performing some great melodies and harmonies.

Our guest speaker is Pamela Curr the Campaign Co-ordinator from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

About Pamela Curr

Image from The Age

Pamela Curr is the campaign coordinator at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which provides services to asylum seekers and refugees while fighting for their human rights. She has worked in the past 15 years fighting for the human rights of first outworkers in the clothing industry and then for refugees and asylum seekers.

Pamela works with the refugee advocacy movement to end mandatory detention as well as assisting men, women and children to adjust to a new life outside detention. She helped in the release of detainee Cornelia Rau by working with a trusted female journalist to find Cornelia’s family when all other avenues failed.

Pamela was admitted to the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll in 2009 and is listed in the Who’s Who of Australian women in 2010. She was born in Brisbane and trained as a nurse at the Mater Public Hospital before completing midwifery at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. Later she completed Welfare Studies and a degree in Community Development at Victoria University. 

Refugee Week: DHSV special lunchtime event

Venue: RMIT auditorium (The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, Level 2), 720 Swanston St, Carlton
Time: 12.30pm
Date: Thursday, 20 June 2013

Related links

• Services for refugees and asylum seekers
• Doutta Galla Community Health's Talking about Teeth project

The man who led Dental Health Services Victoria in its formative years has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Dr Martin Dooland was Chief Executive of The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in 1994. Two years later he became the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of DHSV.

Now living in Adelaide where he has recently retired as executive director of the South Australian Dental Service, Dr Dooland was awarded an AM for his: “significant service to public dental health”.

DHSV CEO Dr Deborah Cole said the honour was well-deserved and described Dr Dooland as an inspiration to many people in public dentistry.

“I am proud to be one of them,” she said. “Martin has led the fight for improving the oral health of the Australian community. He has been focused on the agenda for decades.”

She said he had a sense of logic that was based on an overwhelming desire to improve oral health for disadvantaged people.

Dr Cole said Dr Dooland never gave up a fight and it was this tenacity that had helped him to bring about change.

“He is seen by many as being the creator of the two most significant national public schemes, the Commonwealth Dental Health Program and the newly announced $4.1 billion National Dental Scheme.” Dr Cole said.

Dr Cole said having followed his progress for 30 years, she believed that all of Dr Dooland’s work had led to the recent Federal Government announcement of $4.1 billion for dental care.

“While I recognise that many others have contributed, he started the battle, continued the fight, never gave up, provided the evidence and supported decision makers,” Dr Cole said. “He has never sought the limelight or personal kudos for his actions.”

Dr Dooland was the CEO of DHSV from 1996 until he returned to Adelaide in 2001. During his time at DHSV he was involved in the merging of the school dental service with the RDHM.

Dr. Chetan Bhardwaj (Dentist)
Dr. Sajeev Koshy (Director Dental Services)
Ms. Vicki Poxon (CEO)

Boort is a small town located approximately 250 kms north-west of Melbourne within the heart of Loddon Shire region. Also known as “The Northern Oasis”, the area is renowned for many of its sporting clubs, lakes and water sports, along with its diverse farming community. Loddon Shire covers an area of approximately 6,700 square kilometres making it the seventh largest municipality (in area) in Victoria.

Boort District Health offers a variety of services to the community including dental, medical, acute care, aged care, physiotherapy, podiatry, and district nursing to name a few. Since the revival of dental services by then CEO Mr Peter Abraham in 2007 and under the able guidance of Dr Sajeev Koshy, the clinic hasn’t looked back and has been progressive in providing quality dental care to its community members.

A dental outreach initiative, called Boort Outreach Model of Care was evolved by the efforts of former CEO Ms Veronica Jamieson in collaboration with Northern District Community Health Service (NDCHS) last September and has continuous strong support of the current CEO, Ms Vicki Poxon. The purpose of the project was to create an awakening in dental health issues, oral health promotion, accessibility to dental care, and importance of early intervention in treatment and prevention of dental diseases within the community. After an initial survey of the region, four different key demographic areas were identified which lacked general dental/medical services.

During this pilot phase of the project, Dr Chetan Bhardwaj conducted free dental examinations and provided dental education in various regions of the community and those clients, ranging from all age groups (more under 18 years) which needed further dental treatment were referred back to Boort for further assessment and treatment. This created a lot of enthusiasm within the community and many of them appreciated our efforts and also came back to the hospital for further dental treatment.

The success and enthusiasm from the community encouraged us to carry this initiative forward into the second phase of the project which we are presently undertaking. This small effort of ours showed us the importance that even a single chair dental practice can be successful and sustainable and can play a pivotal role within the rural community. It also helped us gaining confidence of the local community that dental care can be at their doorsteps and they actually don’t have to travel long distances for basic dental services.

Dental Health Services Victoria is hosting a range of Aboriginal short films every day this week as part of National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week.

What is NAIDOC?

NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia in July each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.

This year NAIDOC celebrations will be held from 7-14 July. View the NAIDOC week calendar here >>

Saturday Morning Dental: Plenty Vally Community Health has found a clever way to combine breakfast with a visit to the dentist

Introducing a Saturday morning breakfast and dental clinic for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and their families has helped improve access to services at Plenty Valley Community Health (PVCH).

With the oral health care provided by Dr Alex Thomas from the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, the culturally appropriate program has helped improve access for patients.

The unique project - said to be the only one in Victoria - is a partnership between PVCH, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and Dental Health Services Victoria.

Ms Doreen Power, Chief Executive Officer of PVCH, said before it introduced Saturday Morning Dental, only a few Aboriginal clients were treated over a five-year period.

“After the introduction of the service the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients increased year on year,” Ms Power said.

“The program also acted as a gateway to other services at PVCH, such as the diabetes educator and the drug and alcohol counsellor.”

PVCH provides primary healthcare, social and psychological support services to people of all ages.

Its services have a strong focus on treatment, prevention, early identification, rehabilitation and maximising independent living skills.

PVCH partners with general practitioners, hospitals, government, local agencies and community members to maintain an effective universal primary healthcare system.

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne turns 10

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne is celebrating 10 years of caring for the oral health of Victorians at 720 Swanston Street, Carlton.

First established in 1890 as The Melbourne Dental Hospital at 225 Lonsdale Street, the hospital has moved to several locations over the years before finally relocating to its present Carlton premises in 2003. The hospital was named The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in 1969.

Today, The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne is a multi-purpose facility offering general, emergency and specialist care for disadvantaged Victorians in need of oral health care. The hospital serves as a centre for excellence for dentistry and oral health research in Victoria. Staff provide care in the 16-chair general and primary care clinic, 38-chair specialist services unit, 4-theatre day surgery suite and emergency clinic.

The hospital also houses The University of Melbourne’s dental school, the Henry Forman Atkinson Dental Museum, the RMIT University Department of Health and Biosciences and the Cooperative Research Centre for Oral Health Science. It is Victoria’s leading dental teaching facility working in partnership with LaTrobe University, The University of Melbourne and RMIT University. It is operated by Dental Health Services Victoria which coordinates the delivery of public dental services throughout Victoria.

History of RDHM 
 

 Media contacts

Lisa Fairweather, Tel: (03) 9341 1134 | 0402 373 585
Email: lisa.fairweather@dhsv.org.au

Mingsia Lee, Tel: (03) 9341 1139
Email: mingsia.lee@dhsv.org.au