New school dental van facelifts an eye catcher
A new fun dental van wrap is bringing smiles to our young patients at many state schools across Brisbane north and Moreton Bay. Pictured here are students Ruby, Frankie, Ava and Johnny.
The Metro North Oral Health Service School Dental Service has revealed its newly wrapped fleet of school dental vans with illustrated children’s artwork that catches the eye.
School Dental Service Director Dr Tarini Singh said we have listened to the feedback of parents and families who wanted the dental vans to be more visible, easier to find and more appealing to kids.
“The newly wrapped vans have been re-imagined with fresh, fun, creative designs and artwork to make the visit to the dentist more enjoyable for children,” she said.
“Visiting the dentist can be daunting, but we want our young patients to feel safe, happy and enjoy the experience.
“It is important that they have a smile on their face when they come to see us and keep coming back looking forward to their appointments.”
As part of the new artwork, the new design and van wraps centre on a highly visual illustration of a friendly new tooth mascot holding a protective shield and a large toothbrush.
“The School Dental Service mascot represents the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste,” Dr Singh said.
“It is important to also protect your teeth by eating healthy foods and reducing the intake, amount and frequency of sugary foods.
“Protection of teeth can also include drinking lots of water and limiting the intake of sugary drinks or wearing a mouthguard when playing contact sports.”
Dr Singh said teeth could last a lifetime with the proper care, and the risk of tooth decay can be lessened with good oral hygiene and access to regular dental checkups.
“The new dental van wraps feature Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork, created by Elaine Chambers-Hegarty, to make the service more welcoming,” she said.
“Many parents found it difficult locating our services on school grounds, but now they can’t miss us with these bright, new eye-catching dental vans.
Dr Singh said we were very excited about the facelift with first dental vans appearing at Mango Hill and Pumicestone State Schools.
As part of the School Dental Service eligible children and adolescents are able to access free emergency and general dental care at various sites across north Brisbane and Moreton Bay.
“We deliver free general dental care such as examining teeth and gums and providing preventative advice for keeping teeth healthy and tooth cleaning, x-rays, fillings and tooth removal,” Dr Singh said.
“Our dental team can also provide emergency dental for toothaches, knocked teeth, mouth or jaw pain, swelling or bleeding.”
Eligibility to access the service includes all children aged 4 years to the completion of year 10 only listed on a Medicare card; outside these age groups require children to be listed on a Medicare Card and on a valid concession card or receive the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
The School Dental Service covers a network of school dental clinics at primary schools in Caboolture, Ferny Hills, Bracken Ridge, Albany Creek, Strathpine, Humpybong, Kippa Ring and Kallangur, as well as mobile dental vans at many other locations.
Read more about our School Dental Service at School Dental Service | Metro North Health or contact 1300 300 850 during business days.