EFFORTS to improve oral health across the region by Gannwarra Shire Council have been highlighted at the recent La Trobe Rural Health School Research Conference.
The outcomes of the Gannawarra Oral Health Action Plan were presented to the conference by Gannawarra Council and Northern District Community Health representatives.
Shire Council manager community recovery Narelle O’Donoghue, NDCH chief executive Mandy Hutchinson and general manager programs and services Alexia Stephens spoke about the key actions.
They were joined by Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research senior lecturer, Dr Virginia Dickson-Swift in discussing the action plan that was developed in 2014.
This followed Council’s participation in the three-year funded Rural Engaging Communities in Oral Health Project by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Gannawarra Shire Council chief executive Geoff Rollinson said the plan had succeeded in reducing the rate of hospital admissions for children 14 and younger with oral health conditions.
“Actions completed thanks to the development of Gannawarra Oral Health Action Plan have helped reduce the hospital admission rate for Gannawarra children aged 0-14 years from three time higher than the Victorian average in 2013 to roughly equivalent to the state average in 2019,” he said.
“This reduction in hospital admissions would not have occurred without the dedication of Council staff from across our early years and health services as well as the efforts from local dental clinics, and our health partners, who worked together to improve the oral health outcomes for our youngest residents.”
The key actions implemented by council included oral health promotion and screening at local primary schools and pre-schools, installation of drinking fountains, and the fluoridation of Cohuna’s town water supply in August 2021.
NDCH chief executive Mandy Hutchison said that the oral health action plan was a great example of council and organisations working together to ensure oral health remains a priority.
“No one organisation could have made the changes required to improve the situation where our young children were ending up in hospital for oral health conditions,” she said.
“Which are largely preventable through good oral hygiene, regular dental check-ups, brushing well, eating well and consuming water as the drink of choice.
“Working with La Trobe University on a community-based engagement project has meant that we can strengthen our partnership with the community to ensure that the oral health and wellbeing of our children and their families continues to be supported into the future.”
