The Canterbury Health System is helping children living in the eastern
suburbs smile with improved access to better dental care.
The Aranui Community Dental Clinic has opened its doors and begun service to
children in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch and is holding a community open
day tomorrow (Wednesday, August 31, 2011).
This is a four-chair clinic providing assessment and treatment to children
and complements mobile dental clinics making routine visits to schools in the
area.
Dr Martin Lee, Clinical Director of the Community Dental Service, says
five-year-olds living in the Aranui-area are 40 percent more likely to have
decay or fillings than children living in other parts of Canterbury. They are
also 50 percent more likely to have had a tooth extracted.
“This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the oral health
of children in an area of Christchurch where dental care is desperately needed,”
Dr Lee says.
“We will be able to achieve this through up-to-date dental equipment and
modern facilities making dental care a less daunting experience than in the
past.”
The clinic’s community open day is from 9am to 3.30pm tomorrow. All are
welcome to visit the clinic, located at 240 Breezes Road, Aranui, to see it in
action.
This clinic is part of a nationwide upgrade of oral health services for New
Zealand communities and part of a $13 million upgrade to the Community Dental
Service for school children within the Canterbury region. The upgrade will all
of the region’s 120 school dental clinics replaced by 12 community dental
clinics and 18 mobile dental units.
Canterbury’s first community dental clinic was opened in May 2009 at
Ashburton Hospital. Since then, clinics have also opened at Akaroa, Burnside,
Kaiapoi, Hillmorton, Hornby, Northcote, Rangiora, and Woolston. The clinic at
Lincoln is nearly complete, and the last clinic will be built as part of the
planned integrated family health centre at Kaikoura.