Grampians Health Dentist visits Edenhope Kinder

Great news for Edenhope Kinder students! The Grampians Health dental team paid a visit to them this week to promote oral health with the children.

Jake Wren, a dental assistant and oral health educator with Grampian Health delivered a fun and interactive talk with the students about the importance of brushing your teeth, identifying what foods are good for your teeth and which foods are ‘sometimes foods’.

Jake provided some great take home messages for the kids

·        Brush teeth twice a day, for two minutes using a circle motion,

·        visit the dentist at least once a year,

·        choose a tooth friendly diet,

·        drinking tap water and limiting sugary drinks like cordial or soft drink to meal times.

Kinder student, Isaac Merrett volunteered to dress up in a dentist’s gown and protective clothing to familiarise students with what a dentist will wear and to show that dentists are real people underneath the clothing.

“Often these visits are the first time a child may have been to a dentist. By having the check up in a familiar environment it makes the child more comfortable for when they have to visit a clinic,” said Jake.

Dental Therapist Leanne Barnes then provided an initial dental check for the students.

Part of the Grampians Health dental management team, Melissa Miles and Jodie Robinson, also visited.

“We were pleased the team could travel from Ballarat to provide this service to the Edenhope Kinder,” Melissa said.

“We also met with Edenhope College, St Malachys and Apsley Primary Schools to organise future visits to provide the same service to these students.”

The visit was a great success and children received a reward sticker and a take home pack that included instruction on how to brush as well as a new toothbrush and toothpaste after their check up.

Grampians Health are preparing the service to offer dental care to the eligible community of Edenhope and surrounds. If community members would like to be placed on the waiting list, or are in need of urgent treatment please phone 5320 4225 for your care to be arranged.