Tasmanian not-for-profits St Lukes and City Mission are teaming up to help Launceston’s homeless access better oral health care as part of Dental Health Week.
St Lukes Dental is donating 100 oral health packs to Mission Health, a City Mission-run clinic providing free drop-in health care to vulnerable people in the community.
St Lukes Chief Health Officer, Luke Cameron, said dental health is critical to our overall wellbeing.
“When people can’t access preventative oral health education and treatment, that impacts their physical and mental health, as well as our health system - dental conditions alone account for 12.5 per cent of avoidable hospital admissions[1].
“Our vision is to make Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet, but to do that we must overcome some of the nation’s biggest oral health challenges. That means helping more people access preventative dental care and helping kids understand and build good health habits early in life, for generational change on oral health.”
Mr Cameron said the packs contain dental basics like toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and more that many people take for granted.
“The idea to donate these oral health packs actually came from one of our St Lukes Dental Therapists, Michelle Biner, who also volunteers for Mission Health and knows firsthand how important healthy teeth and gums are to our quality of life,” he said.
Mission Health Practice Manager, Lynnette Kerrison, said the service’s clients often had a tough time accessing dental care.
“Most of our clients have significant dental issues, related to all kinds of challenges: the instability that comes from homelessness, they may lack a mobile phone for effective communication, or are unable to access dental care products and clinics,” she said. “Low health literacy and substance abuse are often factors.
“Mission Health makes it possible for Launceston’s homeless to access the ongoing dental treatment they need to be able to smile and speak with confidence, chew and eat well, and enjoy better health and wellbeing. The St Lukes dental packs will make a huge difference, helping our clients to take better care of their teeth.”
Dental Health Week runs from 4-10th August. This year’s theme is “reach every s-milestone,” focusing on children’s oral health and helping families tick off developmental dental goals.
“We’ve also supplied kids’ packs to Mission Health, with fun products like stickers and a sand timer to make a game out of oral healthcare, and not a chore to be avoided,” Mr Cameron said.