The Adelaide Dental Hospital is one of the two major public dental service providers in South Australia. The hospital extends statewide dental services to vulnerable members of the community, particularly those who have limited access to health insurance. The bulk of basic dental work is performed by interns supervised by qualified public health providers, while specialist services are given by visiting specialists, the Adelaide Dental Hospital staff, academic staff of the Dental School and postgraduate students in specialty training program.
The Adelaide Dental Hospital offers a wide range of patient services for children and adult. When a patient is referred from a community dental clinic to Adelaide Dental Hospital, the patients receives the following specialist services:
Adelaide Dental Hospital Services
• Tooth extraction
• Corrective surgery of the mouth and jaws
• Orthodontics or treatment of misaligned teeth and jaws or improper bite
• Root canal procedure
• Treatment of gum diseases
• Removal of dentures
• Alignment of crows and bridges
• General dental care such as check-ups, cleanings, fillings and simple tooth removal
As mentioned, general dental services are normally performed by interns from the Dental School. With funding from the Gillard and Commonwealth Governments, the number of interns will increase to 150 over the next three years. The funding allowed construction of a 10-chair teaching dental facility and an additional 52,500 hours of clinical training, spread over five years, for undergraduate dental and oral health students in South Australia. These students will eventually be assigned for internship not only in the Adelaide Dental Hospital but also in community clinics that are also receiving additional funding.
The Minister for Health and Ageing was pleased with this development saying that the government is making it easier for patients to have faster access to broader dental services in Adelaide Dental Hospital and outlying areas, now and in the future. The interns will be coming from the University of Adelaide School of Dentistry, which has seen an increase in the number of students for several years.
Equally important, the government has also expanded dental services not just to Adelaide Dental Hospital but also to rural areas through the construction of an eight-chair training center in Whyalla.
Currently, there are more than 60 dental facilities spread all over South Australia and this funding translates to more doctors and nurses for these clinics and for Adelaide Dental Hospital. With more medical professionals, patients can enjoy more comprehensive basic care, which includes:
Adelaide Dental Hospital Plans
• A dental check-up
• Dental education on oral hygiene and nutrition
• Dental radiology or taking and interpreting X-rays
• Prophylaxis
• Application of fluoride and fissure sealants
• Teeth extraction
The Adelaide Dental Hospital and the Royal Adelaide Hospital have a long history together, and because of this relationship, patients of the latter will have access to on-call services from the former even after hours. This usually applies to patients who require oral or maxillofacial surgery due to injuries sustained from accidents. Additionally, the Adelaide Dental Hospital also accepts referrals from private clinics where facilities are inadequate to address their patients’ needs.