Uni of Adelaide to open new dental clinic for the community
Monday, 28 July 2014
The University of Adelaide will open its own dental clinic for the local community as part of its School of Dentistry.
In the lead up to national Dental Health Week starting 4 August, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic), Professor Pascale Quester said the new purpose-built facility, to be located on Kintore Avenue, will provide essential clinical training for students while providing affordable dental services to the South Australian community.
"This clinic will complete our array of new, state-of-the-art facilities for dentistry," said Professor Quester. "We already have the largest and most advanced dental simulation lab in Australia."
"Our School of Dentistry is ranked equal best in the nation and we are committed to seeing it thrive," she said.
"Over the past 90 years we have treated half a million South Australians and supplied most of the dentists and oral health therapists in the State," said Professor Quester.
"Any South Australian who has visited a local dentist will most likely have been treated by a University of Adelaide graduate."
Opening in 2016 and operating across the year, the new clinic will accommodate advanced-level students working under the supervision of some of Australia's best dental and oral health academics.
"The aim is to have patients seen earlier, and give them access to a greater range of treatments," said Professor Kaye Roberts-Thomson, Interim Dean of the School of Dentistry.
The University of Adelaide currently has a clinical placement arrangement for students with SA Health through the South Australian Dental Service and the Adelaide Dental Hospital.
"We've been reviewing our curriculum and the operating model to make it more efficient and innovative, so we have the flexibility to respond to any future arrangements with SA Health," Professor Roberts-Thomson said.
"This new clinic will be a win for students, staff, the dental profession and, most importantly, members of the local community who struggle to afford good dental care," she said.
Established in 1920, the University of Adelaide's School of Dentistry is ranked equal best in the nation and has produced most of the State's dentists, dental specialists and therapists, and treated over half a million South Australians.
