The Smile Squad program has now delivered free dental care to more than 100,000 students – helping thousands of parents save time and money and keeping Victorian kids, including in Hume and Whittlesea, happy and healthy.
Delivered by mobile teams of dedicated oral health clinicians who travel across the state in bright orange vans, Smile Squad provides free check-ups, x-rays, teeth cleaning, application of fluoride and dental sealants, fillings, and root canals to school students.
Since the program launched in 2019 Smile Squad has delivered 200,000 free initial and follow up appointments to kids at government schools and provided more than 600,000 dental health packs which include a toothbrush and toothpaste.
A survey of students attending Smile Squad found that 36 per cent of them don’t brush their teeth twice a day, and 16 per cent of them had never had their teeth checked by a dental professional before Smile Squad visited their school.
Across Australia, at least a quarter of children have experienced tooth decay and in Victoria dental conditions are the highest cause of preventable hospitalisations for children under 10.
Importantly, this transformational program has benefits that reach beyond Victorian kids. By delivering free dental care to Victorian kids, treatment places are freed up so more adults can be seen by public dental services.
