Healthier smiles for hepburn shire kids

Kids in the Hepburn Shire have received free fluoride varnish as part of a new Andrews Labor Government outreach program to prevent tooth decay in the community.

The $100,000 program delivered fluoride varnish applications and oral health promotion with tooth packs to preschool children at their local early childhood services across the Hepburn Shire and Macedon Ranges.

Across the Hepburn Shire, 50 children were been seen as a part of the program, with four sessions taking place across Daylesford Community Childcare, Daylesford Kindergarten, Trentham Kindergarten and Hepburn Kindergarten in August.

Children living in non-fluoridated rural areas continue to experience higher rates of hospital admissions for tooth decay. For non-fluoridated towns across the region, fluoride varnish, applied twice a year, can be highly effective in stopping tooth decay among at-risk children and preventing oral disease in the future.

Fluoride varnish when applied to teeth provides protection to help prevent tooth decay in young children.

Tooth decay remains one of the most prevalent diseases in Victoria. Almost half of all children have signs of tooth decay and dental conditions are the highest cause of preventable hospitalisations for Victorian children under 10.

And 37 per cent of children in preschools have early signs of tooth decay which can be reversed by applying fluoride varnish.

Oral health promotion, screening and early detection and prevention of oral disease is crucial to reducing the burden of oral disease and inequalities in oral health.

The Labor Government has invested $14.7 million to develop a new action plan to improve the oral health of Victorians and reduce the gap in oral health outcomes for people that are at higher risk of oral disease.

The plan will target oral health promotion and prevention programs in communities where it’s needed most.

We are also investing $226.1 million in public dental services in 2017/18 – a 9.7 per cent increase from the previous year – so more Victorians than ever can access high quality and safe dental care, sooner.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
"Kids in the Hepburn Shire

“We know good dental health is the foundation for good overall health throughout life. Providing fluoride varnish to our Hepburn Shire kids will improve their oral health in the long term by preventing tooth decay early."

"We are taking action to prevent tooth decay in kids, and to keep smiles bright and healthy across the Hepburn Shire."