Since it began in 2013, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) Dental Service has played an important role, providing oral care where it’s needed most.
The Dental Service is a purpose-built semi-trailer clinic on wheels, taking preventative care and treatment of oral health conditions to the regions at no cost to the patient.
In total, the number of appointments, fillings, X-rays and other dental treatments have delivered over $20 million in services in a region that stretches from Tara in the south west to Camooweal and Collinsville in the north.
That’s an incredible impact for the overall health of regional Queenslanders.
RFDS (Queensland Section) Principal Dental Advisor Dr Stevie Dilley said the mobile service has been able to bring care directly into communities, and that can be life changing.
“When people are no longer living and working with ongoing dental pain, their confidence improves and daily life becomes easier,” Stevie said.
“Being able to smile, eat comfortably, and talk without pain has a major effect on self-esteem, work, school attendance, and social connection.
“Regular dental visits allow for education around oral health and prevention and supports community members to gain a better understanding of how to care for teeth and gums, which leads to better long-term outcomes.
“These benefits often extend to families as well; when parents receive care and education, positive habits and awareness are passed on to the next generation.”
QCoal Foundation CEO Sylvia Bhatia said the QCoal Foundation was enormously proud of the ongoing success of the RFDS Dental Service.
“As Founding Partner of the Service, we know what a difference it makes to rural and regional communities across the state,” Sylvia said.
“Beyond the clear health outcomes, the continued sustainability of the Service demonstrates our ‘social venture approach to philanthropy’ in practice.
“Trialling innovative models of service delivery that focus on community need means the benefits are tangible and widespread.
“We continue to partner with experts in health service delivery to find new and more efficient ways of ensuring services reach those that need it most, and our goal is for these partnerships to achieve the long-term sustainability of the RFDS Dental Service.”
The RFDS Dental Service will continue to play an important role in the oral health of many people living in regional Queensland.
For Dr Stevie Dilley and the team, there’s still a lot more they hope to do.
“Oral health is not a luxury – it’s a vital part of overall health,” Stevie said.
“As a team, the RFDS Dental Service are privileged to help improve health outcomes for people living in rural and remote Queensland.”
